Heroes? What Heroes?
by Mallador9000
Summary: A NEET/otaku is reincarnated into the MHA universe. What will she do? Who will she befriend? Most importantly, is she going to be a hero or a villain? Or maybe... something else? Something that makes the jobs of pro-Heros seem like childsplay? Will contain anime references and perhaps even crossovers later on. Might be moved to the mature section for mature themes in the future.
1. The Start of a New Life

**Again, this is also something I've decided to write**

 **I don't know if I'll continue it**

" _Idefgjsfj"_ = thoughts

The girl did not think that she would be run over with a truck when she stepped onto the road. Nope, not at all. After all, what was the chance of that happening right?

But none of that really mattered as it did not change the result. The girl's life flashed before her eyes before the kinetic energy from the truck brutalized her body.

However, the girl did not feel nearly as sad as she should have. After all, she was a NEET. As someone who had no family and friends, she would not be missed. The only thought that her mind produced was this,

" _Ah, I see. I'm dying."_

It might have been the sheer shock of being run over by a truck, but that was all the girl's mind could come up with.

Earlier in the day, the girl woke up to the sound of her alarm clock, stretching and yawning in displeasure. It was never pleasant to be woken up by loud sounds. Not bothering to shower or brush her messy hair, the girl simply changed out of her bed clothes.

On her way to open her laptop, the girl noticed an extremely loud groan from her stomach, accompanied with the unpleasantness usually associated with hunger. The girl herself groaned in annoyance as she instantly knew that she had to go outside of her apartment to purchase food.

Sliding her feet inside cheap sneakers, the girl's face resembled that of a marionette's as she walked out of her home. The truck ran her over at the first street she tried to cross.

That day, one story ended and another began.

The girl's eyes suddenly opened as she awoke, dilating in shock at the scene before her. A woman stared into her eyes with the most compassion the girl had ever been shown. The woman's hair was raven black, her eyes brown. She wore what seemed to be white hospital gowns, giving away the fact that she was currently inside of a hospital.

It was a momentous experience for the girl, as her parents had died soon after her birth. She was not able to remember either of their faces, as their memory faded with time. With no siblings, parents, or friends, the girl drifted through her life like a ghost, living an antisocial life unfit for humans. The only thing the girl occupied her time with was with anime. This continued for over twenty years, the girl barely noticing the days going by.

Seconds after she opened her eyes, the girl realized that her body was much smaller than before. After all, the woman cradled her body with relative ease. Her eyes soon widened again.

" _Oh no."_

The girl had watched enough Isekai anime to know what this was. Hell, she was even killed by a truck. The girl had no more time to think however, as her mother whispered softly at her, those loving eyes completely focused on her small body.

"Welcome to the world Mal."

Mal, that was to be the girl's first name from that day forth, a name unusual for a normal japanese citizen, regardless of gender. The girl would later find out that it originated from a mythological figure unique to her new world, belonging to the Epic of Mal, a poem telling the story of a great hero. Her parents named her after the protagonist.

No one knows what manner of being brought this girl to this world, or how they did it. However, one thing was certain. My Hero Academia would never be the same.

 **I spent about less than an hour writing this so it's not that great**

 **I'll probably write a new chapter very soon though**


	2. First Friendship

**I've decided to start writing in first person because it's slightly easier for this kind of story**

 **Constructive criticism is appreciated, unjustified insults are not**

 **Four Years Later**

My new life was perfect. I didn't even care that I died in my previous life anymore. Like honestly, a world full of superheros and villians? What could be cooler? Moreover, I knew everything that's going to happen. I wasn't sure if everything was going according to cannon but if it was, then that would be great. My new name was Kurokami Mal, courtesy of my parents. They have always said that my amethyst eyes were the prettiest things they had ever seen, and that it fits perfectly with my long, raven-black hair.

I had a caring family and an amazing friend. My parents simply adored me and were ridiculously nice. They never got mad at me even once. Well, that might be thanks to the fact that I was really mature for my age and never caused any trouble. I was after all, an adult mentally.

It's weird to say this, but I'm honestly glad that I got run over by that truck. My new life was worth it.

As I sat at the dining table, taking a bite of french toast, my mother smiled at me lovingly while my father covered his face behind a newspaper. This was normal, everyday behavior for both of them, and I had grown accustomed to their habits by now.

My mother, Kurokami Mai, was an easy going woman who showed the utmost compassion to everything around her. Her dazzling smile coupled with her sociable personality made her a great deal of friends and acquaintances.

My father, Kurokami Hayato, was a stoic man, strong in even the most stressful of situations. His leadership qualities and calm demeanor made him a great asset to his company.

After I finished my toast, I took a swig of orange juice and let out a satisfied sigh. This is the life I tell ya. Eating delicious homemade food with your family, having your parents dote on you because of how cute you are. This arguably normal lifestyle was surprisingly fulfilling. Seriously though, my parents always pulled their hair out deciding what to give me for my birthdays as I told them multiple times that I had everything I want already.

After my glass was completely drained, I wiped my mouth with a napkin and rose from my seat. My father looked up from his newspaper and smiled at me before sending me off with a wave, my mother doing the same. Dad was very handsome, his dark brown eyes matching his hair perfectly. Not the tiniest hint of facial hair resided upon his well toned face. His strong muscles were hidden inside of his business suit, making him seem almost average at first glance.

My mother was almost thirty years old, appearing as a mature beauty to most. She possessed the largest breasts in her whole high school. Many men had swooned to her in the past because of this, but she was only attracted to my father. The reason for this was that they were both quirkless, knowing the pain of being looked down upon by others for their genetic faults. My mother had made up for this with her natural beauty, my father, with physical training and charisma.

I walk out the door, not before directing a bright smile at my parents and waving to them. I shouted happily,

"I'm off!"

Happily skipping forward, I hummed a tune from an anime while I thought about what I will have to do at school. I had a proper education in my old world, learning everything up to the end of high school. Therefore, the subjects taught at my kindergarten were quite literally child's play. I was the best student in class and unnaturally polite and clever for my age. People used to tell me that sometimes I appear more mature than my actual age. If only they knew the truth.

Suddenly, a cheerful shout caught my attention as I directed my eyes in the source of the noise. My smile widened as I gazed fondly at one of my best friends.

"Mal-chan! Wait!"

The green-haired boy breathed heavily, clutching his knees as he finally reached me. I stopped walking, giving my friend time to catch his breath as I greeted him.

"Yo Mii-chan."

Midoriya Izuku looked up at me, having finally caught his breath.

"Jeez, why do you always walk so fast?"

I laughed a bit before replying,

"Sorry Mii-chan, this is my regular pace."

The future hero sighed before smiling.

"That's just like you Mal-chan. You'll make a great hero someday."

Flashing me a toothy grin, my friend complimented me sincerely. I didn't need any lie detecting quirks to know instantly that he meant every word he just said. I could feel my face heating up at the compliment. My brain was so frenzied that I could barely reply to his statement.

"Y-yeah."

Honestly, this kid looked up to me too much. I know that I saved him from a lion in the zoo but I didn't want him to worship me. I wanted to be Izuku's friend, not his idol. I didn't want him to see me as some great hero far out of his reach. I'm not All Might after all.

After Izuku recovered completely, we walked to school together, just as childhood friends should. I was really lucky to live near the kindergarden, and even luckier to walk the same way Izuku did to school.

 **Flashback**

I was enjoying the zoo with my parents. Another normal day in my normal life, or so I thought. This was the day I met Midoriya Izuku, the hero that would surpass All Might.

My parents thought it would be a good idea to expose me to some animals so I could have a better sense of the world around me. They thought that it would be a fun experience for everyone in our little family of three. My mother and Father both adored animals for some strange reason I could not comprehend. We didn't have any pets and no one intended to get one either. Even so, my parents still loved animals.

As for me? I simply didn't care. Having a pet would be troublesome, as I would have to clean up after it, feed it, love it, and watch it die of old age. The last part was the most important reason. Maybe I could tolerate a pet in my life if it was well behaved, but there was no way in hell that I would open my heart up to a creature that would die after a few years. Mostly, I just didn't see the point. Maybe it was because I never had a pet in my previous life. However, it was probably because of how satisfied I was already. I had my parents, and they were all I needed. This was what I thought at the time.

My impassiveness towards animals meant that I could not enjoy the zoo as others would. As they excitedly gazed at the exotic creatures in wonder with those shiny glints of happiness in their eyes, I had a staring contest with an ape in an exhibit. My parents conversed amongst themselves about how amazing the animals were, almost forgetting my presence. This was fine, as I didn't want to fake a joyful face just so I could convince my parents that I liked the zoo.

"Look dear! Those baby apes are so cute!"

My mother was practically squealing at the adorableness of the baby apes while my eyes were still locked with the grown one at the front of the exhibit. My father in the meantime, was admiring the muscles of a male ape.

"Those muscles are certainly impressive. I wonder how hard he trained to get them."

I wanted to remind my father that apes did not "train", but I didn't want him to pick up on my impassiveness, so I ignored his statement.

Suddenly, the terrified scream of a young woman nearby alerted my whole family.

"L-Lion!"

I turned my head towards the direction of the scream and was welcomed with the most terrifying sight I had ever experienced. A male lion had somehow broken free from its cage and was currently eyeing the spectators around us hungrily. The fierce beast with a golden mane suddenly roared, it's emerald eyes shining with the primal urge to feed.

I was too shocked to do anything, simply staring at the lion with wide eyes. My mind went blank completely. My parents were the same, their pupils dilated in surprise. Most of the other spectators were also this way, seemingly frozen in time as the lion made its appearance.

The roar snapped everyone out of it. Some people wet themselves, others began to scream in terror. Children began to cry as the adults were too shocked to even comfort them.

My father reacts the quickest out of everyone in the room, positioning himself in front of my mother and me, arms spread wide. His determined eyes locked with the beast's own. In that moment, my father transformed into a true hero, uncaring about his own safety, only concerned about the livelihood of his loved ones. His old classmates in high school used to mock him for his dreams of becoming a hero. Ha! Only if they could see him now! Guarding his family with every ounce of strength he possesses! If that's not a hero then I don't know what is.

Suddenly, the lion broke eye contact with my father and instead glared at the person next to us. I noticed the boy who was enjoying the ape exhibit next to us. I have no idea how I didn't see him now that I have. After all, it's not everyday you meet someone who has green hair.

The child who wore an All Might T-shirt was shaking in his shoes, frozen in a state of absolute fear. My eyes were upon him in an instant, recognising him as the protagonist of the MHA franchise. He was standing in front of the exhibit all alone, staring at the lion with an expression of pure terror. I had no idea how this child who was younger than five years could separate himself from his parents and frankly, I didn't care. Rather, I didn't have the time to care as I noticed lion train its eyes on him, practically spewing killing intent.

The lion prepared to pounce, readying his back legs to propel himself forward. Seeing this, I immediately snapped out of my shock. There was only one thought running through my mind at the time.

" _Do not let the protagonist die."_

It was as if I was possessed. My body moved on its own before I could stop it. Leaping forward with the greatest amount of energy my legs could generate, I tackled Midoriya Izuku as the lion pounced at him.

The question I asked myself was how? How was I able to summon enough courage to save Izuku when even the adults around us pissed their pants? Was it because I was made to be a hero, instinctively saving any bystander in need? Was it because the boy appealed to me physically? Was it because I was suicidal and I wanted to die?

No, the answer was simple. There was only one reason that I, a NEET with no experience in any physical activity was able to save someone from certain death. It was simply because I was an otaku. I had read every chapter of the MHA manga and watched every episode of anime in the series. Therefore, I had grown attached to Izuku, and Bakugou, maybe even Shoto. It's silly, but I almost saw them as friends.

The lion's pounce was fruitless as I tackled Izuku out of the way. He roared in fury as his attacked missed. Readying itself for another attack, the lion set its sights on both of us this time.

I paled. There was no way I could dodge another attack. Fighting back would be virtually impossible. My tackle earlier was simply lucky. Had I leapt a millisecond later, then I would have been wounded by the pounce. I was also physically a four year old, so at this point I was already extremely exhausted.

I was on top of Izuku, pinning the terrified boy to the ground. He was too frightened to speak or even move. His entire body was shaking in fear, the sound of his teeth clattering clearly audible.

As the lion zoomed towards us, I racked my brains for any method I could use to get both Izuku and me to safety. The method simply did not exist. I could not compete with a lion's speed in my exhausted state. Izuku wouldn't be able to even move since he was pinned under me. To put it simply, we were screwed.

Closing my eyes, I waited for the end. Was this how my journey in the new world was going to end? If it was going to end, then I wanted to die to old age, or a powerful villain, or even to disease. But dying to a rampaging lion on my fourth year? That was too cruel wasn't it? What would my parents think? How sad would they be? Those were some of the questions that popped into my head in those moments.

However, after three more seconds of thinking, I noticed that I was not quite dead. Opening my eyes, I suddenly felt the urge to cry. I was saved after all.

The lion was completely immobilized by rags, long strands of grey cloth wrapping themselves around its limbs. The beast cried out in anger as it furiously lashed out at everything around it. The relieved words of a middle aged man caught my attention as I turned towards him.

Dressed in a business suit, the brown haired man breathed heavily with exhaustion. Both of his hands were held out, clenched into fists.

"It looks like I made it in time."

I later found out that the man was a pro hero named Ragmaster, someone who was visiting the zoo with his family in his free time. After hearing the screams of civilians in a nearby exhibit, he immediately rushed to confront the lion.

If this hero was not present, then I would have surely died.

Wiping the tears from my eyes, I stood up from my position, no longer pinning Izuku to the ground. Smiling brightly at the boy, I bent down and lowered him a hand. Taking my hand, Izuku blushed adorably, his eyes never leaving my face. Knowing how shy Izuku was towards girls, I couldn't help chuckling a little, startling the boy before me. Noticing this, I quickly ask him,

"Are you ok?"

Izuku had to take several seconds to find his voice before answering. Even then, his voice was shaky and unstable.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks."

I simply smile at him again before turning to find my parents tackle me with hugs, tears dripping their faces. I gave a toothy grin, happy to be safe and sound again. However, this front quickly broke as tears began to gather at my eyelids, overflowing from my eyes in mere seconds. I broke into uncontrollable sobs while my body shook intensely. My parents quickly began to comfort me with their embraces and words, slowing the pace my body shook with.

During the events with the lion, I was too preoccupied with actions and thoughts of survival to think of anything else. Adrenaline flood my systems, keeping my body functional and giving me the tools I needed to stay alive. I barely thought about the effects of my actions at all.

However, after the stress faded, my mind was suddenly given the time to think about those very consequences. It sank in. I could have died. I could have been killed and forced to forfeit this wonderful life I had been given. Yes, I thought about this before when the tiger was about to kill me. However, I was forced to be hardened and strong then. How was I going to survive the brutal attack of a lion if I was a sobbing mess on the floor? It would only make sense if my body made sure that I was mentally stable during a confrontation that would likely claim my life.

However, now that the danger has passed, the mental barriers my subconsciousness cast in my mind were taken down, resulting me to break down. After all, I was just a normal twenty year old citizen stuck in the body of a four year old. You can't just expect me to shrug off a close encounter with death.

Later on, the animal was safely secured and the manager of the zoo apologized vehemently for his mistake. Both my family and Izuku's showered the hero Ragmaster with thanks, so much so that he was beginning to get annoyed. When I thought he would reach his breaking point, he suddenly regained control of himself and said a few simple words to us before he went home.

"It was nothing. I was just doing what all heros are supposed to do, saving people. No need to thank me for doing my job."

I could tell right away that this man was a true hero, not simply some playboy hungry for fame. He was one of the few good heros out there, and I sincerely hoped that he would stay alive when the hero killer comes.

Afterwords, I became fast friends with Izuku, a relationship supported by his parents, as I had saved his life. My parents were also extremely glad that I had finally found myself a friend.

 **Present Time**

After I reached the kindergarden, I was welcomed with the sight Katsuki Bakugou, the future rival of my best friend. Izuku had introduced me to him when we were four, an experience that was not quite pleasant. Glaring at me with murderous eyes,

The four year old had asked me in the rudest way possible,

"Who the hell are you?"

Sighing inside my mind, I quickly destroyed the part of myself that would take offense at his words. This was Bakugou. Expecting him to be civilised was like expecting a cat to bark.

Extending a hand forward, I smiled compassionately towards him.

"Pleased to make your acquaintance. My name is Kurokami Mal, Mii-chan's new friend. I assume that you're Katsuki Bakugou, the old friend he was talking about?"

The explosive kid viciously slapped my hand away, causing it to swell afterwards. I grimace in pain. This kid had impressive arm strength. His slap really hurt. Meeting my eyes with his, Bakugou shouted angrily at both me and Izuku.

"I don't want anything to do with you or your weirdo friends Deku! Knowing you, she's probably a weakling anyways!"

His glare intensified as Izuku jumped back in fright. I was more surprised than angry. I've heard Bakugou scream multiple times in the anime, but hearing it in real life was really different. I thought that the sheer volume of his voice could give Present Mic a run for his money. Turning his body around, the young Bakugou walked away from us with his hands in his pocket, not sparing either of us a second glance. I facepalmed in my head.

" _Well, that could have gone better."_

After several embarrassed apologies from Izuku for the poor manners of his friend, I went home to spend more time with my parents.

After that day, I barely associated myself with Bakugou, deciding to befriend him later on, maybe when he became more mature.

Idily spending time with Izuku and my parents, I enjoyed every single day like It was my last. I almost forgot about the explosive kid.

Yet I was reminded of his existence this day, as our eyes meet after I entered the school building. I simply gave him an impassive look, shielding my emotions. He glared angrily at me, clicking his tongue with fury. I had no idea what I did to piss him off so much, so I simply associated this with Bakugou being Bakugou.

The teacher arrived, signaling the start of class. I couldn't seem to pay attention to her lessons however, as I felt something strange in my gut. Everything simply felt wrong, an aura of negativity radiating from the world around me. I never had a bad premonition before so this was actually a first. It took me a while to even figure out what this feeling meant. Time seemed pass by quickly, minutes feeling like seconds and hours feeling like minutes.

To me, it wasn't long before class finished and I was dismissed to go home. Humming a tune while walking out of the school building, I suddenly realized that my premonition was right. I stop humming immediately as I watch, horrified as Bakugou and several other kids began to walk towards Izuku, their quirks activated, sadistic grin plastered on their faces.

 **Ok, I couldn't stand it anymore and changed the whole chapter to past tense**

 **It might sound weird but I assure you it's better than the present tense version of the story**


	3. I'll always be cheering for you

**I might make some events deviate from cannon**

 **Normal POV**

As Bakugou and his gang cornered Izuku against a wall, I could see the pure, unfiltered fear on my dear friend's face. Bakugou's face was the direct opposite. Smug, arrogant, almost sadistic. Was that really the face to be making against a childhood friend?

Suddenly, I remembered. Izuku was often bullied for his quirklessness. However, I had long since forgotten when. I've been in this new world for almost five years already, so I forgot some details about the anime and manga. However, one thing was clear to me now. This is the day when Bakugou first started actively bullying Izuku.

My friend had never told me about anyone assaulting him in any way, always determined to become a great hero like his idol All Might. I was sure that he was not hiding anything from me either as his body was always void of bruises and his emotional state was stable. However, Bakugou was about to change that today.

Yeah, there was no way in hell that I would let that happen. I had only been friends with Izuku for a month, but I could already tell that he was a good kid. I wouldn't let anyone hurt him, even it it's Bakugou. Clenching my hands into fists, I could feel determination course through me as I sprinted towards my friend, backpack still strapped to my shoulders.

 **Izuku POV**

Midoriya Izuku had always been friends with Katsuki Bakugou. They both admired the same man, had the same dream, but most importantly, they understood each other. So why? Why was the same person who was Izuku's best friend look at him with that face? Why did Bakugou direct that much aggression at him? Why did Bakugou radiate such killing intent towards him? Izuku had never done anything to enrage his friend like this so he simply didn't understand why this was happening.

Looking into those furious red eyes, Izuku couldn't help thinking,

" _I-Is this really the Kacchan I know?"_

The green haired boy couldn't help being frightened. It was if his old friend had been replaced by a raging demon. Izuku could only try to reason with Bakugou, hoping the boy who used to be his best friend would stop this. With clattering teeth and a shaking body, Izuku attempted to talk to his friend.

"P-Please stop this Kacchan!"

Izuku begged his friend to stop, to reconsider his actions. What had happened to the cheerful boy who aspired to be a hero? What happened to the great friend he had looked up to almost as much as All Might? Inwardly, the boy thought that Bakugou would stop. They were friends after all, there was no way Kacchan could actually hurt him right?

After Bakugou's face relaxed for a second, Izuku let out a sigh of relief inwardly.

" _That's right, there's no way Kacchan would do anything to me. He was probably just blowing off steam from something that made him angry. Yes, that's it."_

However, Izuku soon lost hope after Bakugou's face split into an aggressive smirk, winding up a punch for his childhood friend. The two children behind him watched with two smirks of their own, wanting to join in the beating after their leader delivered the first punch.

The green haired boy closed his eyes as he mentally prepared for the punch that would likely give him a black eye.

" _Ya, that's right. It's because I'm quirkless isn't it? It's because I'm weak, isn't it?"_

Izuku chuckled bitterly in his head.

" _As I thought, this world really is unfair."_

It wasn't until five seconds passed that Izuku opened his eyes. After his friend's promised punch was undelivered, he dared hope that Bakugou had a change of heart. However, the scenery he was shown depicted a raven-haired girl's backside, blocking him off from the bullies with her whole body mass.

 **Normal POV**

What the hell Bakugou? What the actual hell? Seeing Izuku bullied in an anime by his best friend was one thing, but seeing the same thing happen in real life was something else entirely. Even if it's Bakugou, how could someone do this to their own friend? Especially someone as kind and gentle as Izuku.

However, I immediately understood why this was happening even though it was disgusting to me. Bakugou had an amazing quirk, Izuku didn't, end of story. It's the same thing that happened to my parents and it would have been the exact thing that happened to me if it wasn't confirmed already that I had a dormant mutated quirk.

This world was amazing, the possibilities seemingly endless. There's so much the human race could accomplish if they just used the right quirks for the job. Construction could be made much quicker if people like Cementos used their quirks to mold materials. Interstellar travel would made much easier if the astronauts had quirks that did not require them to breathe. The same could be said for underwater exploration. People with aquatic quirks would no longer have to wear scuba masks and have to worry about the time constraints of water tanks. In fact, several of these changes had already been implemented.

However, this wasn't enough. Logically thinking, humans have only achieved a small fraction of the achievements possible with the use of quirks. For example, mining would be meaningless if the government simply employed someone who could transmogrify organic materials into metal. There would be unlimited gold and an infinite amount of building materials. For the issue of deforestation, a quirk like Kamui Woods' would be helpful. After all, what's the point of chopping down trees in a forest if there was someone who could generate an infinite supply of wood?

These are all ideas that the countries in the world could implement to better the world. However, they still squabble amongst themselves, going on and on about quirk regulation laws. Truely, this world had yet to see quirks as what they truly are, extensions of the human body.

Restricting someone's quirk would be like tying their arms behind their back. Even without a quirk, I could imagine how chained someone would feel if their quirk was to be kept under lock and key. Well, the government does this to keep order and to instill equality upon society. Still, I always wondered if there was a better way.

However, in this world, there was an even greater issue than quirk regulation, treatment towards quirkless citizens. In a world where the majority of people possessed some sort of superpower, someone without that ability could be likened to a handicapped person.

In my old world, it was common to treat a handicapped person with respect befitting anyone else. Anyone who failed to do so was heavily looked down upon. That is why the treatment towards quirkless people surprised me. Only a select few honorable individuals gave the quirkless the respect befitting a member of society, even then, looking down on them. To me, this behavior was unacceptable. Often, my teeth would clench when I saw someone being mistreated for being quirkless, slightly shaking in anger. It was just too cruel for me. Maybe I was spoiled thanks to all of the kindness my parents have given me, taking it for granted, but I still believed that the world would be a much better place if the the quirkless was treated with less disrespect. After all, even the quirkless can contribute to society. Coming from a world where everyone was devoid of powers, I could certainly prove that fact. Overall, I absolutely despised the act of looking down on someone who's quirkless because of the simple fact that they're quirkless.

Therefore, I was really pissed off that the first person that I would call my friend was being subjected to the thing I hated the most, by his best friend no less. I know in the MHA storyline, Bakugou's bullying shaped a part of Izuku's character, and that without it, Izuku would be changed for better or worse. If I were to change anything, it could cause a completely Izuku to emerge, making some events diverge from cannon.

But you know what? I honestly didn't care.

Izuku wasn't just a fictional character to me anymore, he was my friend. What kind of friend would I be if I stood by and watched as he was bullied? Screw the timeline, screw character development, I was determined to find a way to stop Bakugou's bullying, and possibly befriend him if I could.

Besides, I haven't collected enough evidence to say for sure that the events of this world would go completely according to cannon. After all, the main storyline didn't even start yet. Therefore, there was a chance that Izuku would be dragged into a pit of darkness by the endless onslaught of belittling he was going to receive from everyone around him instead of staying true to his ideals and keeping himself determined. It could go very wrong very fast. I'm no stranger to villain Deku fantheories. If my friend was just the tiniest bit less dedicated than his anime self, then there was a high chance that he would become a villain or commit suicide.

I would never let him walk on either of those paths. As a villain, Izuku would never be able to truly rejoin society, and would be hunted down and arrested if he wasn't lucky. The other path, well… there wasn't much to be said was there?

Concrete determination flashed in my eyes, replacing the rage that came before it. This was no time to be angry. I had to save Izuku from being constantly bullied by his best friend. Randomly lashing out would do me no good. I would get my butt kicked as my quirk remained dormant. Besides, having it awaken during a fight could possibly injure someone. While I was seriously pissed at Bakugou and his two henchmen, I didn't want to actually hurt them.

As the blonde reared his fist back for a punch, I sprinted to Deku, standing in front with my legs wide and my arms open. Staring straight into Bakugou's eyes, I stated calmly,

"Stop this right now. I won't let you hurt my friend."

 **Bakugou POV**

Bakugou was pissed off. No, even saying that wouldn't be entirely accurate. The blonde was livid with rage. He was just getting payback on Izuku for the way the green-haired boy looked at him. After Bakugou had fallen that one time, his friend had looked at him with a face full of concern and offered his hand.

"Are you ok?"

Those words accompanied with that face resulted in a memory that Bakugou would never forget. What Izuku did at the time was natural. In that moment, Bakugou could have sustained injuries from his fall. Therefore, like a responsible friend should, the green-haired boy had shown concern for the blonde and wanted to confirm his safety. Any normal person would take the hand offered by Izuku gladly, thanking the boy for his kindness.

Not Bakugou. Nope, definitely not Bakugou. The blonde had taken the greatest amount of offense imaginable in that moment, interpreting a show of kindness as a show of superiority. For the being known as Katsuki Bakugou, what Izuku did at the time could be regarded as looking down on him, and that was unacceptable. Izuku had committed the most heinous crime known to the blonde, and he wasn't about to get away with it.

Every time Bakugou thought of that smiling face, he would grit his teeth in anger and humiliation, cursing the name of his old friend. Noone was allowed to look down on Katsuki Bakugou. Noone. Especially not that fragile, quirkless little boy who would follow him around like a loyal minion. He could tolerate Izuku as a follower, a sidekick, even a trusted friend. But a superior? That quirkless little Deku thinking him inferior? Never. Bakugou would never allow that to happen, whatever it took. Therefore, the blonde's grudge began as be took measures to put Izuku in his place.

When his childhood friend had begged him to stop his advance, Bakugou smirked with satisfaction. He did not hate his childhood friend, at least not in the truest sense of the word. However, even if he was quirkless, even though there was no way he was going to catch up to Bakugou, Izuku still had that glint in his eyes, the same glint he made when he was a child, before he was told that he was quirkless. Bakugou knew that glint, the glint which would brighten Izuku's veridian eyes to the point where they shone like emeralds. The blond knew that light too well. After all, it was the the same glint which graced his own eyes when he first found his dream, the same glint that still resided within his vermillion orbs to this day.

There was only one emotion that could make someone's eyes shine that brightly. Screw greed, screw lust. The only thing that could be associated with that light is pure, uncut determination. That's right. Even after all this time, even after being told that he was quirkless, Izuku still believed that he could become a hero. Even when he possessed the strength of a normal human being, the boy still believed that he could one day become a great hero like All Might. All Might! The man with punches that could level city blocks and kicks that could propel him to the top of skyscrapers. How was a powerless nerd like Izuku going to be like that?

Bakugou did not hate quirkless people. No, he did not even consider the fact that he might have been discriminating against them. It was simple to him, he was graced with amazing powers, they were not. Therefore, instead of becoming things they couldn't be, they should focus on becoming things the could. The concepts of cruelty and discrimination were not even at play here, only reality. Bakugou had an amazing quirk, therefore, he could become a hero. Izuku didn't? Well that's just too bad.

Therefore, the blonde couldn't understand that glint in Izuku's eyes. Even if it's your dream, there's no point in trying to be something you aren't. It was just that simple.

This was the other reason Bakugou wanted to beat Izuku up. He would show the boy his own powerlessness before he wastes more of his time trying to become a hero. This was the largest reason to be honest.

In truth, the blonde would have refrained from harming Izuku if that accursed glint would just disappear from his eyes. This is why he put up the intimidating front at the start of their confrontation. If those shining emerald orbs would simply lose their luster, then maybe Bakugou would have considered being Izuku's friend again. He would never admit it, but in a place deep in the blonde's heart, he truly wanted his old friend to give up his dream. After all, it wasn't like Bakugou had ever considered Izuku's friendship to be a hindrance. The blonde had even grown somewhat attached to the green-haired boy.

" _Come on Deku! That's enough! There's no way for you to become a hero! So please, please give up and go back to being my friend again. I don't want to see you of all people get in my way."_

He would never admit to having these thoughts, but in some compassionate part of his mind, he wanted to be friends again.

However, even as Bakugou tried to keep his methods as peaceful as possible, that accursed glint was there. It didn't matter that Izuku was shaking in fear and close to tears. The blonde could still spot the traces of light in those moist eye sockets. Therefore, he would have to resort to violence.

Clenching his teeth in anger, slight explosions triggered on Bakugou's palms. Why? Why wouldn't Izuku just give up? Why? He should know that his dream could never be fulfilled, that it was an impossibility, so why?

" _Why? Why won't you give up? Do I really have to beat that light out of your eyes for you to see the truth?"_

Seeing those eyes, Bakugou immediately knew the answer to his question. Izuku would never give up. The blonde had no idea what manner of being could possess that little weakling to be so strong, but it seemed that he would have to get rough.

Bringing back his left arm back to wind up a punch, the blonde prepared to launch the attack at his old friend.

Seeing that fearful expression on Izuku's face as he anticipated the punch, Bakugou couldn't help snarling in anger. How, just how was he able to make that weak and fragile face when his eyes glowed with that light?

Midoriya Izuku was a fragile boy, someone who would cry loudly even if he sustained an injury as trivial as a scraped knee. He was someone who would shake in his boots and tear up when faced with the threat of violence. So, if Midoriya Izuku was a weakling who would never be able to best someone in a fight, then how the hell did he still have the determination to be a hero?

To harbor dreams of being a hero with no quirk was synonymous to subjecting yourself to a life of cruelty and ridicule. It took a heart of steel to stay true to your dream in a life like that. One would have to possess the strength to keep their dream alive in a constant lifetime of being looked down upon, unbudging to the harsh words of the masses.

To Bakugou, who linked determination directly to physical strength and endurance, Izuku's very existence was an affront to his very ideals.

" _How can someone so weak be so strong?"_

Bakugou was confused. And confusion often leads to anger. That was exactly what happened in this case.

The anger from the confusion due to Izuku's impossible strength combined with the fury from Izuku's concerned face when he asked if Bakugou was alright blended together to form a vermillion flame of rage, threatening to make the blonde himself explode.

Just as Bakugou was about to launch his attack, fueled by his anger, it was stopped. The newcomer was able to stop his punch with nothing but a glare.

It was that new friend that Izuku introduced to Bakugou. The same creepy girl who had the eyes of an adult but possessed the body of a child. Those eyes were the creepiest things the blonde had ever seen.

Bakugou had never seen the girl before. He never even knew that Izuku had a friend like that. When he was introduced to her, the blonde had almost decided to throw away his grudge so that he could warn the oblivious Izuku about her.

It wasn't as if Bakugou was scared of the girl because of what she could do to him. In fact, the blonde knew that he could probably best the newcomer easily in a fight.

No, Kurokami Mal's eyes shone not with the dark light of malevolence, but with the white brilliance of knowledge.

Despite seeing him for the first time, those eyes clearly showed her knowledge of him. Mal's gaze had pierced him, making Bakugou feel exposed for the first time in a while.

It was as if she knew him or something. She never spoke about it, but it was almost as if she knew him, almost like they were friends or something. This both disturbed and enraged Bakugou to no end. This is why Bakugou disliked Mal, but remained vigilant around her.

Now, that same girl was interrupting his much needed session with Izuku, which fanned the already raging flames of his rage.

Those eyes just made it worse. Those amethyst orbs now shining with the same light of determination in his ruby ones just made it so much worse.

Bakugou, in that moment, could barely distinguish the difference between Mal and a concrete wall. It didn't matter if the blonde could have easily beaten her and moved on to Izuku next, the girl still managed to resemble an unbreakable defense.

How the hell did Izuku get someone like this on his side?

Bakugou was about to shout for her to get out of the way when she said it.

"Stop this right now. I won't let you hurt my friend."

The way she said it was full of conviction. It was as if Mal was stating a simple fact, like how the sky is blue or how clouds are white. It was the same way Bakugou had always announced to everyone how he was going to be a greater hero than All Might.

Why? Why would this girl be so determined to protect a weakling like Deku? Just what was he to her? Bakugou was completely mystified inside, but decided to hide his confusion in order to intimidate the newcomer.

With a feral growl that could be likened to a feral beast, Bakugou shouted to Mal,

"Get out of the way! This is between me and Deku! It has nothing to do with you!"

The girl's violet orbs pierced into Bakugou's, almost pinning them in place. Not moving an inch, she announced with determination in her voice,

"Not if you're going to hurt him. If you want to resolve something, do it with your words."

How was she able to say those words? She knew that she was powerless, having no chance against Bakugou and his henchmen. However, when Bakugou gazed into those amethyst orbs, he knew it instantly.

" _Oh no. Not another one."_

She was just like Izuku, determined to fulfill her goals even though she had no power to do so.

It's true what they say, birds of a feather flock together. Izuku had managed to befriend someone just like him.

This just enraged Bakugou so much more as he called out Mal's weakness.

"Huh? Who the hell do you think you are? Telling me what to do?"

The blonde grinned as the brunette gulped nervously. The teachers were too far away for her to call and there was no way she could beat them in a fight. There was absolutely nothing she could do if Bakugou and his henchmen decided to get violent. She clearly knew this. But again, the determination in her eyes did not fade as she continued to hold her ground, despite knowing the futility of it all.

With a calm and gentle voice, Mal begged Bakugou to stop and think about what he was doing.

"Please stop. I know that you still care about Mii-chan somewhere in your heart. Don't do this to your friend."

Bakugou could only reply with,

"Huh? A friend? That little weakling? Don't be stupid!"

At his answer, the brunette only sighed in disappointment.

"Well then. I can't beat you, but I'll be damned if I let you touch Mii-chan."

Mal said that with such a serious fact that Bakugou was completely baffled. How was this girl going to prevent him from touching Deku if she couldn't even protect herself? However, he also knew that she would not budge from the spot no matter how he threatened her. The only way to bear Izuku up was to beat Mal up. Yeah, there was no way Bakugou would beat a girl up. It made him look bad. Therefore, he had to give up for today. Snarling in anger, Bakugou spat,

"Kuh, I don't beat up girls. Count yourself lucky Deku. Your girlfriend just saved you."

Turning his back to Mal, the blonde gestured to his henchmen.

"What are you waiting for?! Lets go!"

The two bullies looked at each other in puzzlement before obeying Bakugou's orders before jumping in fear as their boss turned his head to glare at them.

"H-Hai!"

Walking away, the blonde turned his head and glared straight into Mal's eyes, fully showcasing all of the pent up fury in those vermillion orbs.

"This isn't over."

It wasn't one of his usual enraged shouts. This sentence was spoken with cold certainty, almost like a fact. It wasn't meant for intimidation, it wasn't meant to be a threat. Those words were a promise, one that Bakugou would deliver no matter what.

However, to his disturbing words, the girl smiled kindly. Her lips curved up in a benevolent grin, Mal relaxed and shoved her hands into her pockets.

What she said next both shocked and mystified Bakugou. It was probably the strangest thing someone could ever say in this situation. With a songlike voice that showed none of the cold severity it had during their confrontation, Mal cheerfully invited the blond to hang out.

"Please meet me at the park entrance at four o'clock tomorrow alright? I'll be waiting."

Bakugou almost choked on his own saliva. His eyes widened in surprise as he questioned the very sanity of the girl before him. The reaction of any normal person to his promise along with his earlier actions would be fear, anger, or some kind of displeasure.

But this girl, this girl had not only smiled compassionately at him like they had just finished having a tea party, but she had invited him out on what could be interpreted as a date. Everyone present was four years old, so they didn't actually see it that way, but it was still surprising.

Bakugou's henchmen whispered to each other.

"I don't like this girl, she's weird."

"I know right? Let's just get out of here."

Bakugou whipped his head around, clicked his tongue, and began to walk forward, intent on going home. There was no way he was going to take Mal up on her offer. Not even if he was extremely curious. Nope, not happening.

 **Normal POV**

That was really scary. I had no idea what I was going to do if Bakugou had actually decided to attack. There was no way I could actually live up to my bluffs or my confident attitude. I think he knew that.

This made me feel truly weak for the first time. Yeah, I understood what Izuku felt all the time now, and believe me, it was a really bad feeling. Being powerless hurts more than people would think. Seriously, why wouldn't my quirk hurry up and activate? Honestly, I was such a late bloomer. Hopefully I would get something like electricity manipulation, earth manipulation, or water manipulation. Anything was fine as long it was powerful. If I actually got a hard to use quirk like Mineta's balls, then I would get seriously pissed off.

For the first time in my whole existence, I found myself being glad for the fact that I was a girl. I used to think that being a boy was much better as they don't have to deal periods, which sucked really bad. But now? Now, I found myself thinking whatever deity that decided to make me a female. It probably just saved me a beating from the hardest hitting kid in the whole universe. Seriously though, that guy hits way too hard for a four year old.

I asked him out in an attempt to talk to him alone. I loved his face when he heard me ask him that? His eyes went so wide that it wasn't even funny. I know, what I did was extremely strange and unusual. However, I couldn't find it in me to blame Bakugou too much for his actions, now that I've sorted out my feelings after the passing of the anger rush.

He hadn't actually touched Izuku yet and could probably be persuaded to not do so. Young children are easily influenced after all. That was probably one of the reasons why Bakugou was so arrogant and narcissistic in the first place. I bet that everyone around complimented him for his amazing quirk all the time. Even an adult would get overconfident with that amount of praise.

I was determined to reform Bakugou with nothing but words. Then, Izuku would no longer have to deal with the constant amount of bullying he received in the anime. Bakugou would be more sociable and make more friends. It would be a win win for everyone.

The blonde might have glared at me with anger in his eyes, but when I imagined him working together with Izuku as a team, I couldn't help but smile warmly. Seeing two friends work together would always warm my heart. It was one of the new hobbies I had discovered in this new world.

Many would consider me overly optimistic for my thoughts, but I couldn't worry about that, or I simply chose not to. I was in the body of a little kid, it was fine to be optimistic sometimes at my age. Then again, I was mentally over twenty years old…

Well, moving on from that train of thought, If I couldn't convince Bakugou to change his ways, then I would have to defend Izuku from him every time, or find someone to do so for me. If that was necessary, then I would have to learn how to fight and unlock my quirk. If it turned out to be non combat oriented, then I was basically screwed. I would have to completely rely on others to watch out for Izuku. I could always learn martial arts, but that doesn't mean that I would be any good at them. If people with quirks ganged up on me, then there would be nothing I could do. Hopefully, it won't go this way and I'll be able to befriend Bakugou, but if it doesn't, well…. Then I don't know anymore. I would have to do a lot of improvising.

Turning back to face the still shaking Izuku, I smiled at him and asked,

"Are you ok?"

 **Izuku POV**

As Mal turned to face him with that smile on his face, Izuku could barely keep the tears from overflowing out of his eye sockets. He had barely been listening during the whole confrontation, his terrified eyes locked onto the form of Mal. It was like the incident with the tiger all over again, his friend saving him because of his weakness.

Izuku had known Mal for a month and already, she has saved him from harm two times already, risking her own safety in both situations. He knew that Mal's quirk hasn't awoken yet, and that in her current state, she was as good as quirkless. Even so, she was still able to save him from that lion. She was still able to defend him from the bullies, even Bakugou, who had a ridiculously powerful quirk. Kurokami Mal was someone Izuku aspired to be, almost as much as Bakugou and All Might.

" _What did I do right to deserve a friend like her?"_

Wiping his tears away with his sleeve, Izuku smiled happily, answering Mal's question.

"Y-yes."

Mal enveloped the future hero in a loving hug, making his eyes widen. His hands hung limply to his sides, his brain overheating. He was being hugged by a girl. A girl! It didn't take long for Izuku to begin blushing, his face resembling a ripe tomato. Her body was warm and comforting, somewhat like his mother's but different in its own way.

As Mal released him, Izuku's face slowly began to return to its normal color. He stuttered out the only words he could come up with.

"M-M-Mal-chan?"

What Izuku wanted to ask was why Mal had hugged him, but was only able to produce those words with the help of his shell shocked brain.

The brunette seems to have understood his question, giving him a reply with another kind smile.

"Dummy, I didn't mean your physical state. How are you mentally? Are you still determined to be a hero?"

Izuku was puzzled. He was still frazzled from the previous events, so he was not able to deduce the meaning of his friend's words as fast as he could have. It took over ten seconds for Izuku to interpret the question, and another three to think of an answer.

Lowering his head, Izuku stated quietly,

"Honestly, I'm a bit discouraged."

Mal smiled bitterly. She knew for certainty that her friend was feeling that emotion. She would have noticed even without his words. However, Izuku's next statement made her joyful smile appear again.

Izuku raised his head and smiled with a face that radiated determination. He held out a fist in front of his face and clenched it.

"But it'll take a lot more than that to make me give up!"

Mal then faced him with that smile that radiated joy.

"I'm glad."

She then stared directly into Izuku's eyes, entrancing the boy with those violet orbs of hers.

Izuku always found those eyes beautiful, not simply because of how they looked, but because of the emotions they showed. Those eyes were the prettiest things to Izuku because they belonged to Mal. Mal, who was always kind and considerate around him, who always helped him in his times of need, who always comforted him when he needed it. Therefore, every time the boy looked into those eyes, he would unconsciously smile as he knew that his friend was near, and that she cared about him.

Mal continued to speak with that joyful face, recapturing Izuku's attention. Her voice was strict, like a teacher lecturing their students.

"Mii-chan, you may be quirkless, you may be weak, hell, you might even be a nerd, but I also know for a fact that you are by far the most determined person I have ever met."

Izuku looked at his friend with wide eyes. What was she trying to say?

"With that determination of yours, I'm sure that you can do great things. The fact that you don't have a quirk just means that you need to work harder to achieve your goals. Don't let this get to you, ya hear?"

Izuku's mouth was gaping now. There was actually someone that believed a quirkless person could become a hero? To think that someone like that could actually exist? The boy was overjoyed.

"It's not going to be easy. People are going to look down on you. People are going to laugh at you. People are going to say and do things that completely disrespects you on every level just because of those dreams of yours. At times, you'll feel like it would be better to just give up. In fact, giving up would be the path with the least hardships."

Izuku looked down at the floor. He knew this, especially after the events of this day.

" _Maybe it would be better to just give up after all."_

However, Mal's next words dispelled any negative thoughts the boy had _._

"But, I know that you'll never take that path, because that's not the kind of person Midoriya Izuku is. I'm pretty sure that you know if you give up now, you'll regret it for the rest of your life."

Izuku had no idea how Mal's compassionate smile could radiate any more kindness, but it did.

"At times, it'll feel like noone believes in you, like you're all alone in the world. Most people are going to treat you like a joke, after all, your dream seems like an impossibility to them. It'll be really hard to find good friends who can accept your goal, even harder to find ones that support you."

Midoriya was now listening to Mal with admiration in his eyes, feeling similar to the way he felt when he listened to one of All Might's monologues.

"That's why,"

Mal suddenly grasped Midoriya's right hand with both of hers, staring into his eyes with a newfound determination.

"That's why I'll promise you right now Izuku. It doesn't matter how other people look down on you, it doesn't matter if they ridicule you. It doesn't matter if everyone in the world treats your dream as impossibility."

Mal pushed her face closer to Izuku's to the point where they could feel each other's exhale on their faces.

"I'll always support you no matter what. I'll believe in your dream, in the great hero that you will become, even if noone else does."

Mal withdrew herself from Izuku, who looked at her in a mixture of awe and gratitude.

Pointing to herself with her thumb, the girl smirked lightly.

"When your mental state is degrading, when you feel like giving up, when you feel like there's no point in pushing on anymore, remember this. You'll always have a fan in me. I'll always look forward to the day you become a hero who surpasses All Might, the day when you achieve your dream."

As Izuku was about to shed tears of joy and gratitude, Mal's tone became light and kind spirited, a playful smirk on her face as she gently tapped his chest region with her fist.

"It doesn't matter if you can't see me or hear me, if we're whole continents apart. I'll always be cheering for you, Mii-chan. After all, that's my sworn duty as your friend."

The dam finally broke. Joyful tears cascaded down the sides of Izuku's face as his loud cries rang across the background unrestrained.

He hasn't forgotten the face his mom had made when she first told him that she was sorry. That face that basically said,

" _There's no hope for you, I'm sorry, but please just give up."_

Izuku did not want to hear those words from his mother, but they were the words that were delivered from her mouth. Those were the words that almost shattered his spirit. How ironic, that the one person who encouraged Izuku to be a hero the most almost ended up preventing him from becoming one.

Therefore, Mal's words simply made Izuku so happy that he felt as if he could fly. The girl who he had known for less than a year had managed to repair the damage done by Izuku's own mother, plugging up the hole in his heart. As Izuku desperately wiped at the tears falling from his eyes with his sleeves, he smiled inwardly.

 _That's right. It doesn't matter if everyone else is against me. If there's one person who has expectations for me, who believes that I can become a hero, then that's enough."_

Meanwhile, Mal watched as Izuku cried himself out, patiently waiting for the tears to stop flowing and the sobs to subside.

When Izuku finally cleaned his face full of tears, the sun was setting already.

Her back turned to the beautiful setting sun, Mal's compassionate smile suddenly became that much brighter. Offering a hand to the puffy-eyed Izuku, she cheerfully exclaimed,

"Let's go home!"

 **Here's another chapter**

 **I'll just say this right now. This is not an OCxIzuku story**

 **It is definitely not an OCxharem story**

 **As for who Mal is going to be paired up with?**

 **Well, lets just say that it's not anyone you're expecting**


	4. My quirk is a demented Chunnibyou

**Normal POV**

On the way back home, I was completely silent towards Izuku and he was completely silent towards me. His eyes were red and puffy from crying, something I wished that he could explain properly to his parents. I didn't want to get into trouble after all.

My friend was probably deep in thought. After all, his best friend since childhood had just turned on him savagely and practically renounced him as a friend. I mean, If I wasn't there then Bakugou would have beaten the crap of Izuku for sure. It would be strange for him to not be thinking about the things that just happened.

As for me, I was also thinking, but for a whole different reason entirely.

Why exactly did I say those words to Izuku in that moment? I mean, they were clearly beneficial to his mental state, but the words just seemed to pop out of my mouth at the time. Was it a newfound talent, or was it just saying the words I always wanted to day to my friend? I had no idea.

To start with, how was I already so close to Izuku that I could say these things to him? I mean, sure, we played together. That's what all little kids do right? I've been friends with the guy for a month. We knew each other, trusted each other, and liked each other. However, we didn't talk to each other about any important stuff. I obviously didn't tell him that I came from another world. He would never believe me. Other than that, I didn't even have anything too deep to talk about. I easily told him things like how blessed I was, how great my life was, how great of a friend he was, etc.

However, Izuku had never really trusted me with his inner darkness. Outside, he appeared to be an optimistic boy with the dream of becoming a hero. Many people would think that he didn't have a worry in the world. Hell, I would think the same had I not watched the anime when I first met him.

But, if you paid close attention to Izuku, you would notice that he was secretly depressed. When he was off on one of his zealous rants about All Might, sometimes he would suddenly become quiet, tilting his head downwards like he was just chasticized for stealing a jar of cookies. Other times, his eyes would lose that exited luster, becoming almost dim in a way. This was not hidden well, as it had taken me less than a week to notice this strange behavior. I was sure that his mother had realised as well. She would sometimes give a sad, almost sorry smile to her son while he wasn't looking.

However, this wasn't the real issue. The real issue was how he refused to talk about it to anyone. It was quite obvious that he had been bottling up his feelings of inferiority because he did not have an outlet to discharge them. This is why I said that he didn't completely trust me yet. The proof was right before my eyes. Izuku had never talked about his feelings with me, or any other of his "friends", if you could call them that. I was slightly hurt by this, but then accepted it as natural. It would seem that I was the only one who felt like Izuku was an old friend. In truth, we had only known each other for a short while, so logically, he wouldn't spill his guts to me yet.

This brings me to my point. What Izuku was doing was perfectly natural. It was what every normal person would. After all, what kind of person would entrust their darkest secrets and fears to someone they just met a month ago? Well, I was apparently such a person. If I did have some big dark secret, for example, a cruel backstory like Shoto's, then I would share it with Izuku without a second thought. How was I sure of this? Well, It was just a feeling. Somehow, I felt as if I could trust this boy that I had only knew for a month with my life.

While walking home with Izuku, I was attempting to understand this strange hold my friend had over me.

Was it his charisma? Probably not, even though it played a part in attracting me. Was it his determination? No, not that either. I respected and admired Izuku for being determined as he was, but that would be no reason for my unnatural degree of trust. As I walked, I continuously pondered over this, barely watching the road in front of me.

As I thought and thought and thought, I finally came upon the truth of my trust towards Izuku. I had no idea how much time had passed while I was thinking, and I didn't care much either, for I had finally discovered the reason why I felt like I had known Izuku for years rather than a month.

It was simple. This Izuku was just like his anime self, which wasn't too surprising. Because I was a friendless otaku like me, I had deluded myself into thinking the anime character known as Midoriya Izuku as a trusted companion. I had been a faithful follower of the series since the dawn of its birth to the year 2019, where I was run over by that truck. I was so engrossed in the story, so obsessed with the characters, that I felt like that they were real life friends and had treated them as such.

Therefore, even if he was a lot younger than he was than his anime version, this Izuku was still so similar to the one in the anime that I had been unconsciously been treating them as one and the same. Well, not entirely, as I had acknowledged the fact that this Izuku was still in a state of depression because of the negative emotions that came with being quirkless. Yet, despite these additions to his character, I still seemed to see him as the same as his anime version.

This was the reason for my unusual amount of trust towards my friend. As stupid as it was, I knew that I would still see him the same way, and trust him just as much even when I knew the truth.

However, I had also somewhat expected Izuku to trust me just as much, and that the thought of that just made me want to bang my head against a wall.

" _Great, easily trusting a girl that you just met a month ago with your lifelong insecurities. Nope, that's not unusual at all."_

I was just so stupid. For starters, friends around our age usually played around and talked about cheerful things together. This happened every time I played with Izuku. When we got tired of playing Hero vs Villain, we would sit together and Izuku would rant on and on about All Might while I kept a cold dead smile on my face, trying not to kill myself out of boredom.

Kids around our age didn't usually talk about feelings of inferiority or depression. Well, that might be thanks to the fact that we shouldn't even be feeling such things at the age of four anyways, but that's besides the point.

It was actually funny to me after I had thought it all out. I had actually gotten hurt by the fact that Izuku didn't share his burden with me. I had actually received emotional pain over this.

My body instantly facepalmed, stopping in place. Izuku still seemed to be deep in thought, so he moved on without even noticing my condition.

My mind suddenly snapped back to reality as I was done with the deep thinking. Noticing that I was now several meters behind Izuku, I quickened my pace, catching up.

As I stared at my friend's face, I noticed that his head was down, and that he was making that same stern expression he made when he analysed a hero. I sighed as I realized that he was still buried within his own thoughts. This was for the best as I still had no idea what I should say to my friend, after all, I couldn't get too chummy with him.

We might have been friends, but if I pushed too deep, or expected too much, then Izuku might have withdrawn from me. I mean, even though I meant everything I said to him earlier, I could also imagine Izuku's reaction of someone he had only known for a month saying those things to him. He must have been confused and maybe even creeped out. I mean, he needed the encouragement, but still, those words were the ones that should have come from someone who knew him for a long time, a childhood friend who could read him like an open book, not me.

Sure, he knew almost everything about me, as I had told him just about everything I did in this world. However, if I was not naturally perspective, or knew his entire character like the back of my hand because of the anime, then I would still be ignorant of his inner darkness.

The words I said to him then were supposed to be said by someone who he trusted and knew everything about, while in turn, trusted him and knew everything about him. While my part was fulfilled, he clearly did not trust me enough to tell me everything.

Yeah, this was really awkward. I said those words to him like I knew him all my life. Maybe I could have said it later on, when we became closer, but now? When Izuku had the time to think and cool down, he would realize how creepy those words were, coming from someone who he thought only had a basic grasp on his character.

It was then that I promised myself something. Judging by the way Izuku is, things probably won't get too awkward around us. We would still have the chance to become closer and form more bonds. Therefore, I silently swore to myself that I would become Izuku's most trusted friend, if nothing else, then just to live up those words I spoke today.

It probably wouldn't be that hard either. All I had to do was stick around him, protect him, and eventually listen to him when he finally trusts me enough to reveal the truth of his depression to me.

I flinched. How was I going to protect Izuku though. I just got lucky against Bakugou. What if I was to go up against someone who had no qualms about hurting a girl? I was still basically quirkless, so I would have no chance.

It was obvious that I needed to get stronger, and even without a quirk, I needed to know how to fight. I couldn't rely on a power that would appear randomly whenever it felt like it. There was no guarantee that it would be combat oriented anyway.

Determined and ready for training, I looked to the sky, vowing that I would never forget my promise. Izuku was about to have the best childhood friend ever.

I continued to walk with Izuku until I reached my house. Saying goodbye to my friend, I immediately went to the entrance of my home, not before marveling in its beauty.

My house was a small one, a small lawn of grass extending from everywhere except for the entrance, where a stone pathway stopped at the white wooden fence which surrounded the lawn. The house itself was painted brown, a normal civilian home with several rooms and a garage. It was nothing special, but it felt like it home, which made it beautiful in my eyes.

Walking over to the regular oak door, I pulled out my key and inserted it into the keyhole, a daily routine for me.

Once inside, I locked the door before taking off my shoes. Passing by my mom who greeted me cheerfully, I tiredly waved to her before walking to my bedroom. However, my mother then proceeded to remind me of an event that I had long since forgotten due to the other thoughts on my mind. With a voice that vibrated with the utmost benevolence, my mother shouted towards me, who was already locked in my bedroom.

"Make sure to take a good rest Dear! Don't forget that your birthday is tomorrow! Dad will buy a big cake for us to eat!"

My eyes widened for a fraction of a second before I simply sighed and began to undress. Normally, I would have been extremely excited at the prospect of my birthday, as my parents were always able to make every single one seem special and unique. I never really had friends to celebrate with before Izuku, which was fine with me. It meant that I could keep more of the cake to myself. I had grown something of a sweet tooth in my time in this new world.

However, I had more important things to do tomorrow, like meeting Bakugou at four o'clock. I would have to hold off celebrations until I returned from our discussion. It simply couldn't be helped. I thought of inviting Izuku over, and decided that it was a good idea. I would tell him at school tomorrow.

However, right now, I had a ridiculously large urge to sleep. I did not sleep any later than usual yesterday, so in theory, I should have been in peak condition. However, dealing with Bakugou did not just tire my physically, but mentally as well. This was natural of course, as anyone that tried to reason would probably get a headache. He just seemed so stubborn and arrogant that it was almost impossible to try to get along with him.

I barely recognised my own exhaustion on the way home as I was too busy thinking, but now that I was relaxed and in the safety of my own home, waves of it suddenly crashed into me. A tired groan escaped my lips as I climbed into the covers of my own bed after turning off the lights.

I fell asleep at record time, two seconds. I was so tired that when I closed my eyes, my consciousness immediately turned itself off, immediately putting me to sleep. My slumber would continue for the rest of the day, all the way to two o'clock in the morning. I had no idea how I could sleep for so long, but decided not to question it.

 **Next Morning**

I woke up at two o'clock in the morning, my hair, a tangled mess. Looking at my clock, I noticed the time and could not help but voice my surprise.

"How the hell did I sleep for that long?"

The room was dark and the windows were closed. My parents were probably still asleep in their own bedroom. With nothing to do, I decided to just lay down again and began to think, staring at the violet ceiling of my bedroom.

I didn't get very far with it as the robotic voice of mature woman graced my ears. There was no emotion in it, every word spoken with the same tone, similar to an AI from science fiction films. The voice startled me to the point of rising up to a sitting position and yelping in surprise, fortunately not loudly enough to wake my parents.

"Greetings master. Thanks to the intensity of master's wish, I have awoken from my slumber."

I was extremely confused. Was I hallucinating or something? From what my ears were telling me, this voice was coming from inside my own body, which was extremely strange. Was some villain trying to influence me with mind games? No, there would be no reason to target a powerless girl like me, who was merely a drop of water in an ocean of people.

In that case, what was this voice? I couldn't form any competent hypothesis for determining its identity yet. I did not have enough information. Therefore, I decided to pay attention to the voice as I asked it my questions.

"What are you?"

I asked a simple question aloud. The words exited my mouth before I could even comprehend their existence. It was a normal, but broad question, able to be answered in a variety of ways, each explanation variating in levels of detail. I immediately regretted asking the question, wanting to exchange it with another. The voice could have answered with something like, "I'm an alien" and I would have to accept it. Granted, there was no way it would speak the truth anyways so mostly, my concern was unnecessary.

The answer I received was much more specific than I had expected, making me think for dozens of seconds trying to process the information.

"I am master's quirk, called "Birthday Wish". As the name implies, I will grant master's first heartfelt wish on the day of her birth every year. Of course, every wish will be granted in the form of a quirk specifically crafted for master's purposes."

I suddenly lost control of my jaw as it dropped to the floor. My eyes widened to the point where I felt as if my eyelids would rip, a pain my body ignored. I stayed like this for about half a minute, my thoughts in complete turmoil.

This was probably the best quirk on the whole planet, exceeding even One For All and All For One. Since quirks could come in all shapes and sizes, able to grant the user just about any power, the possibilities were literally endless. Not only would the quirks be based off of my wishes, giving me a great deal of control over what quirk I would be given, but I would also be able to get one every year. My luck was just simply amazing. And to think that I actually assumed that I would get a weak quirk unsuited for combat.

As my lips twisted into an impossibly wide grin, I chuckled malevolently. Oh, just think of the possibilities! I could get a quirk that gave me control over life and death, time and space, good and evil. Immortality, invincibility, unlimited physical and mental strength and capacity! They would all be mine! After a couple of years, I could be the most powerful thing on the planet, able to reform this imperfect society. Oh, the very thought of it made me giddy. The planet would be my oyster, and noone would be able to stop me. I could make sure that the quirkless would never be disrespected, I would be able to fix global warming and stop every war. With this quirk, was there even something I couldn't do anymore?

However, another thought entered my head that wiped the grin off of my face. In my excited state, I had almost forgot some key words my quirk spoke. "Heartfelt wish", which probably meant the thing I longed for the most. Oh no. This was bad. Gone were my dreams of world domination and reformation, replaced by cold disappointment as I partially realized the meaning of those words.

Birthday Wish would not grant any wish that did not directly come from my heart. For example, if I were to wish for money, then my quirk would probably ignore the request, as I was satisfied with my current financial state. However, I needed to identify exactly what my quirk meant by "heartfelt wish" so I could somehow take advantage of it later on. Therefore, I directly asked Birthday Wish the question.

"What do you mean by 'heartfelt wish'?"

The robotic voice answered emotionlessly.

"I will only grant master's wish when her greed rises above a certain height. Moreover, the wish will be obtaining the object of that greed. To put it metaphorically, master's heart will be in control of the wish, not her mind. Moreover, if master's greed does not rise above that required level on her birthday, then I will not grant her wish. This is the reason I have only awoken now. Master has felt content for the past four years, therefore I was kept in a state of hibernation."

I punched my bed in frustration. This was even worse than I had thought. If I didn't want something enough during my birthday then the wish wouldn't even be granted. That was just great wasn't it?

Well, even if it was like this, my quirk was still ridiculously powerful. It wasn't as good as I thought it would be but I was expecting way too much in the first place. This was fine.

My body slowly relaxed as I accepted my new situation.

Now, even if the chances were small, I needed to clear up my suspicions. Narrowing my eyes at my bare bedroom wall, I spoke suspiciously,

"Now then, how do I know that you're not some villain trying to take advantage of me?"

My question was strange. After all, what were the chances of a villain's quirk being able to sneak into someone's mind and grant their wishes?

Well then, what were the chances of a truck slamming into someone at a hundred miles an hour in a small street that was more like a road than anything? After that, what was the chance of the person who was run over being reborn into a world where everyone had superpowers?

Yeah, even if there was such a quirk, then I wouldn't be surprised. I've seen too much to be shocked at that.

However, it turns out that my worries were unfounded as the voice inside of my head instantly dispelled my suspicions with a single sentence.

"Master was run over by a truck and reborn into this world."

I grinned. The only way the voice would know that was if it shared my memories, as I have not told anyone, even my parents, of my past life. This meant that the power I was promised was the real deal, and that everything that Birthday Wish told me was true.

Even if the quirk turned out to be like the Monkey's paw, there would be nothing I could do, so I would just accept the powers it gave me with no reservations, hoping that it didn't go wrong. It was simply beyond my power to do more than that.

Seeing that I was silent, Birthday Wish continued speaking.

"This year, master's wish is to be able to become stronger. Therefore, I will now grant master that allows her strength to grow an infinite amount of times."

I gulped, excited for the reveal of my new quirk. Birthday Wish said that it would let me get stronger forever, therefore, there would be no limits to how strong I could get. If used correctly, this could be the greatest quirk ever. Depending on what it was, I could get even stronger than All Might.

I could practically feel the drool dripping from my lips as they twisted into yet another malevolent smile. I was not sure that I wanted to become a hero yet, but if there was one quirk that would secure my position at the top, this was it.

After three whole minutes of gut wrenching anticipation that felt like three whole hours, Birthday Wish finally presented me with my new quirk. When the voice stated the abilities and name of my new ability, it sounded like it was reading through a list. However, I completely ignored that as my face wrinkled in fury at the quirk I had just been given.

"Quirk name: Daemonic Blessing of the Chaotic Blood God

Abilities: For every living creature the user kills, their strength, speed, stamina, reflexes, senses, durability, and regeneration are permanently increased. The amount increased is proportionate to the mental capacity of the creature killed. After an immediate kill, the user's eyes will change to a crimson color for a short duration. For every kill, the user's stamina will be partially replenished in proportion to the mental capacity of the creature killed. Regeneration speed and physical strength will be increased for thirty seconds after kill. This too, is proportionate to the mental capacity of the creature killed."

The voice was silent, giving me time to process the information. My brain was currently overheating. It took me a whole ten seconds to understand what my quirk just said. Needless to say, I was pissed off. What the actual hell was that quirk? Actually, what the hell?

I was given possibly the most demented quirk on the whole planet with a name that only a professional chuunibyou could come up with. As my brain had almost overheated from the disbelief and anger that I was subjected to, the only thing I could actually think to ask was,

"How the hell did you come up with that name?"

I asked this while covering my face with both hands, cringing so hard at the name that I had to hide my face to avoid dying out of embarrassment.

My quirk replied with its emotionless tone,

"That matter is irrelevant. Now, our business is concluded. I will see master next year."

The voice disappeared like it had never been there in the first place. Judging by its words, I assumed that it would return on my next birthday, not any time before then. The other questions I had wanted to ask would have to be saved for next year.

I sigh, trying my hardest to compose myself. I tried to think of ways to put my quirk to good use. The best thing to do would probably have been going to the front lawn and killing every single insect I saw. Since the amount of power I receive depended on the intelligence levels of the creatures I killed, I probably wouldn't get a lot out of it. However, it was all I could do at the moment. I couldn't just start slaughtering random animals everywhere. I could get diseases and people would begin to wonder if there was something wrong with me. Judging by the information I received, I would gain the most power if I killed humans, who had possibly the highest mental capacity compared to just about every other species on the planet, but that was completely out of the question.

I had been given the worst possible superpower in this comic book world. Even if I became a hero, I would still be forbidden to kill, not that I would want to. My new quirk also did not fit well with my morals and values. I did not want to kill anyone for any reason, not even if they were psychotic murderers, since I believed that they could be reformed. There were things that could possibly have pushed me to do so, but they were the most extreme of situations. I would not kill my fellow humans for a simple power boost I respected their lives too much for that. I did not want to kill any animals or insects either, as they have never wronged me.

However, I would do so, even if it went against my morals. Even if I didn't like it, I would still do what I could to gain more power, and killing the bugs on my lawn would not make me feel too guilty anyways.

People would probably think that I had developed some sort of hatred towards insectoids and arachnids, and I wouldn't disprove their gossip, as I had no intention of revealing the truth of my quirk to anyone, not even Izuku. If word got out, then people like All For One might have came for me, and I really didn't want that. Maybe I would tell them if I became strong enough to defeat someone on All Might's level, but not before that. I would have to hide my red eyes, which would not exactly be easy, but I was sure that I would find a way to deal with it.

Oh well, in the end, it turned out that my quirk was much better as I had expected. I wouldn't have to completely rely on my own physical and mental prowess now that I had my powers. I wouldn't have to train as much as I thought.

In fact, rather than training, I resigned myself to slaughtering every single insectoid I saw from now on. I probably wouldn't do so in front of friends, but plenty when I was alone.

Sighing in slight irritation, I rubbed the back of head, as if scratching an itch. I would have to make up some excuse. It was going to be a pain.

Soon, I finished thinking, and knew immediately what I would have to do.

Rising from my bed, I quickly changed into my normal clothes and exited my bedroom. Being careful to tiptoe my way to the house's backdoor so I didn't wake up my parents, I put on a pair of shoes and entered the lawn which surrounded the whole house.

I remembered when I walked through the yard when I was younger, that there was a plethora of pests and worms, even some large caterpillars residing upon the grass and plantlife. While I used to be afraid of them, I would have to cast aside those fears in this moment. I would have to get used to seeing their mutilated corpses soon enough.

Grabbing a metal gardening shovel from my father's kit, I crouched down and scanned for any traces of life among the blades of grass.

A malevolent grin lit up my face when I found a long, brown worm crawling in the grass.

I had very mixed emotions about what I was about to do. On one hand, I was saddened at the fact that I was about to take a life, even if it was an unintelligent insect. On the other, I was practically giddy about getting more power, and was willing to sacrifice the worm without a second thought for a shred of it. It took about three seconds for the power hungry side to win.

You see, I actually had an inferiority complex that rivaled Izuku's, if not worse. It was there in my previous life as well, but it didn't matter too much then. However, here, it suddenly began to become a feeling that would swallow me whole at times. Why? Because here, I had too much to lose. In this world of super-powered heroes and villains, I would need strength to defend the life that I was living. The thing that I dreaded the most was death. Whether the death of my loved ones, or my own death, I feared both. This life was just too good. I would never give it up for anything. I would do everything in my power to keep the people I loved alive and myself alive, no matter the cost.

It could be said that my nature conflicted with itself. I wanted to better the world, to make it into a place where everyone could live life to the fullest, being happy every single day. I would also give everyone a second chance. No matter who they were, I believed that they could be redeemed. However, I was also power hungry and greedy, wanting to protect the ones I loved while also protecting myself, willing to achieve great power in any way possible.

When I realized just how much that my ideals conflicted each other, I had a massive headache. Just how far would I go for power? Would it get to the point where I would kill someone? Probably not, but you never know what could happen. It probably wouldn't be long before my light and dark sides clashed, noone being able to predict the winner. This would probably decide whether I would become a hero or villain.

However, I believed that my light side would win out. After all, the ones I cared about were all kind individuals or aspiring heros. With them around, I would probably be anchored to my light side.

Well, it was far too early to think of such things. It hasn't reached the level where my sides would clash yet. All I was doing in the moment was pest extermination. There was nothing too bad about that. If my quirk granted me more power, I probably wouldn't have to go too far to get more anyways.

My current self looked down at the worm before her for a few seconds before completely squishing it with the back of the steel gardening shovel. I sighed inside of my mind. Hopefully I wouldn't have to go further than this.

Resigning myself to my mission, I spent a few hours of time clearing the garden of pests. I wasn't tired anyways as I had slept quite a lot. Before I noticed it, the sun was already hanging in the sky.

 **Normal POV**

The next morning, Mal's father woke up early, deciding to trim the plants in his garden before heading off to work. Humming a tune to himself, he strolled into his garden, taking in a breath of the fresh air with his nose.

Lowering his eyes, the man had aimed to see the state his bushes were in. This way he would know how much he had to trim.

However, as his eyes took in the sight of his grass lawn, they widened in horror.

Numerous compressed carcasses of several insectoid species lay upon the grass, being eagerly fed on by smaller decomposers.

The perpetrator of the mass murder of insectoids would never be found, puzzling Mal's father until the end of his days. However, he did find that one of his gardening shovels were suspiciously clean, to the point of glistening in the sunlight.

 **Kudos to those of you that got my reference**

 **This is the unedited chapter, I just wanted to get it out before school started**


	5. Todoroki Shoto: First Meeting

**Sorry guys, I sort of rushed the last chapter**

 **School was about to start so I had to finish fast before I ran out of time**

" **Sgdxgfbvd"** = loud/inhuman/unnatural voice voice

 **Normal POV**

It appeared that things were normal between me and Izuku. He now had a small, worshipping glint in his eyes whenever he looked at me, but other than that, there was no difference in his behavior. Seeing this, my behavior stayed normal as well. We walked to school together, ate together, and came home together. When I reached my house, I immediately invited my friend to my birthday celebration, promising a great deal of creamy cake. Izuku accepted my invitation without a second thought.

However, even though I invited my friend to it, my birthday was the last thing on my mind. I was mostly anxious about my "date" with Bakugou. There was a very small chance he would actually meet with me, but since I was the one who invited him, I was honorbound to be there.

Walking into my house, I informed my parents of my return with an energetic

"I'm back!"

My mother smiled brightly at me, her brown eyes radiating compassion.

"Welcome back dear. When should we hold the birthday party?"

I smiled back at her.

"We can have it later mom. I have to meet someone in the park at four o'clock, so I probably won't be back until five."

Mother's face lit up in joy.

"My, my. You've made another friend?"

I tried to put on a smile at that. It was painfully strained.

"Something like that."

Mother sounded excited now. I rarely made any friends, Izuku being my first. To think that I would actually find another person to befriend, she was practically jumping in joy.

"Of course dear! We can have the party anytime you want! Now go on, meet up with your friend! Talk for as long as you like!"

I smiled at this. My mother cared for me to a ridiculously high level. Every time I scraped my knee of cut my finger, she would always somehow break the sound barrier to rush to me, whipping out band-aids out of nowhere and patching me up with hands so fast that they seemed blurry.

Because of how much she cared for me, it probably hurt her that I didn't have a lot of friends. I didn't socialise a lot, and wouldn't talk to people when I wasn't asked. This was because I was content with her and dad, but she didn't know that. This was why she was so glad when I first befriended Izuku. I had finally found a friend my age.

Therefore, the news of my having another friend was like Christmas came early. She was the kind of mother that was happy when her child was happy, the best kind of mother in my opinion.

Checking her watch on habit, mother then gasped in horror.

"Oh no, it's already thirty minutes past three Dear. You should hurry."

I visibly paled at that. It took about forty minutes to walk from my house to the park. I was going to be late.

Immediately turning around and bolting out the door, I ran for the park as fast as I could. My mother simply waved to me, muttering,

"Ah, youth."

 **Mai POV**

Kurokami Mai watched as daughter practically sprinted out of the front door, her beautiful jet-black hair fluttering in the wind. She knew in her heart that she wouldn't have to worry about her daughter too much. Mal was always so mature. From the moment she knew how to talk, she was always so polite and respectful. Her behavior reminded Mai of a teenager's rather than a four year old's.

However, despite her respectful attitude, she never really socialized with anyone, making absolutely no effort to make any friends. This was the only worrisome thing about Mai's daughter. A girl her age should have been greedy, like the other children, begging for toys and asking to go to amusement parks. However, Mal was seemingly satisfied with her life. She never asked her parents for anything, never made any friends, but still somehow kept that beautiful smile on her face.

Mai could remember that heartwarming, yet frightening sentence her daughter spoke to her that day, an almost impossible mixture of a grin and a frown plastered over the mother's face.

It was Mal's third birthday. She was somehow already fluent in Japanese, which Mai did not question as she had already gotten used to her daughter's strange abilities.

Hayato had lifted up the small body of his daughter, goofy grins on both of their faces. Mai stood to the side, watching both of them with that same kind smile on her face. The father had laughed energetically before staring lovingly into Mal's eyes, asking her the question he had saved up for this day.

"Mal, today is your birthday. You can ask for any present you want."

The parents were intent on spoiling their child since they were simply overflowing with love for her. They weren't rich, but they weren't poor either. This meant that they could easily fulfill their daughter's wish.

Judging by Mal's personality, she would ask for something small, like a book or a plushie. Even though, the parents spoiled her, she never really took advantage of it, making them love her even more for here humble side. Yes, anything their daughter could ask for was well within their budget to purchase, and they would gladly do it.

However, the parents were not prepared by their daughter's reply to their question.

Mal held her chin with one of her small hands and frowned, as if in thought, before tilting her head up and smiling brightly, answering Hayato's question in a cheerful voice.

"I don't want anything! As long as Mom and Dad are here with me, I don't need anything else!"

In that moment, both parents' hearts melted into a puddle in their chests. Mai broke into loud, happy sobs while burying her face in her hands. Hayato set Mal down, manly tears flowing down his smiling face. Mal was looking at both of them in confusion, as if she had done something wrong.

For these ridiculously doting parents, those doting words were able to shatter all of their defenses, utterly defeating them. To this day, Mai would still smile fondly whenever she thought of that memory.

However, that sentence, at the same time, was terrifying. It was almost as if Mal was completely devoid of greed, something that a living being should have never been without. The worst issue that would come out of this was the girl's lack of socialization.

Mai understood the reason her daughter's friendlessness better than anyone. After all, why would someone seek something if they have everything they need? In this case, since Mal was already satisfied spending every day with her parents and them alone, there was no need for her to get friends.

This train of thought was unacceptable to the mother, who knew the true importance of friends. This was because friends were people who could know what you're going through. The age gap between the parents and their daughter was just too large for them to do that. Therefore, Mal needed friends her age.

Now, it seemed like Mai didn't need to worry about any of that anymore. Mal was making friends now, so all of her concerns would be unfounded. She silently thanked whoever this new person was that Mal befriended for capturing the heart of her daughter.

Looking to the clock instead of her watch this time, Mai checked the time, hoping that her daughter would make it in time.

The mother's eyes widened as she saw the time on the clock before she scratched the back of her head nervously, cold sweat dripping down her back.

The clock read two-thirty-two, meaning that Mai's watch was an hour late.

Fiercely rubbing her hands together, the woman silently apologized to her daughter.

" _I'm so sorry Dear!"_

 **Normal POV**

My new quirk seemed to work well, as I was able to sprint halfway to the park in the span of ten minutes. However, my lungs felt as if they were about to explode and my legs were terribly sore. Even though this was happening, I knew that if I didn't kill those bugs this morning then I would have already collapsed on my way here. My stamina seemed have underwent a small amount of improvement, my speed too. Another factor that helped me were the small trails of ants on the roads I ran on. Stepping them activated the other ability of my quirk. Some of my stamina was immediately replenished, allowing me to run again without reservations.

Honestly, this quirk was much more useful than I thought. I wondered how much I would improve physically if I continued with my anti-insectoid tendencies for a whole year. I probably wouldn't get anywhere close to All Might's strength but I would still probably be as strong as a bodybuilder with bulging muscles.

Running to the park was an unexpected, but welcomed opportunity to test out my quirk. I couldn't help but be impressed by my new strength.

However, something was strange. My mother had said that the time was three-thirty when I was at home. I didn't realize it at the time, but that was practically impossible. Even if I walked slower or came home later, which didn't happen, then I would still be home before three o'clock. School ended at two-thirty and walking to my house took ten minutes.

Reaching home at three-thirty would mean that it took me a whole hour to walk the distance that would require ten minutes to traverse. That was virtually impossible. In fact, my pace was actually faster than normal as I had gained the permanent speed boost from my quirk.

Catching my breath at the park, I immediately realized it. My mother's watch was inaccurate, more than a whole hour behind.

When I was running to my intended destination, I focused all of my attention towards propelling my legs forward, meaning that I didn't think about any of this on the way. Sweat plastered and gasping for breath, I realized that I was whole hour early.

Glaring at the ground, my right eye twitching uncontrollably, I whispered,

"What the hell Mom?"

I was at the park entrance, a large entrance surrounded by greenery. A oak sign was planted to the side of the entrance. "Welcome to Maruyama Park" was written with black ink on the shabby wooden thing, which probably wasn't replaced for years.

Standing at the park entrance, I thought about what I should do. I really didn't want to go home and come here again after, that would be stupid. However, was staying such a better alternative?

After all, my cloths were sweat-plastered, uncomfortably sticking to my skin. My hair was probably a tangled mess, sticky with sweat, unorganized strands of it facing random directions. The perspective of meeting up with anyone in my current state terrified me. My unorderly state would give off the impression of a wild child, someone who had absolutely no sense of etiquette.

Then again, who would expect etiquette from a four-year old? Besides, it wasn't as if Bakugou would care. He wasn't someone who would pay attention to my frenzied appearance.

I decided that I would just wait until Bakugou came, or leave if he didn't. If I had to wait an hour then I would just wait an hour. I needed to think about some things anyway. It would be best if I was alone with my thoughts. My sweat would probably dry from the breeze, so I didn't have to worry too much about an unsightly appearance.

I brought a hand to my face, covering my grimace.

Still though, this was such a bother.

I had to wait an hour to meet up with someone who might have not even shown up, on my birthday no less. Honestly, why did this have to happen to me?

I then slapped my cheeks with my hands harshly, making them swell slightly. Racking my brain for ideas that could theoretically transform this experience into something useful, it was only a matter of time before a lightbulb appeared above my head.

" _You know what they say, 'When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.'"_

There were a lot of insects in this nature-based park, none of them being protected by the government. This meant that I could kill as many as I wanted. Smiling in realization, I mentally cheered.

" _Well, this isn't a complete waste of time then. As a side mission, I'll find every insect I can, and slaughter them to increase my strength."_

I spoke to myself in a cheerful tone,

"There's nothing to be done about it then. I'll just make the most of this."

Placing my hands behind my back, I walked through the entrance, into the green-splattered park. My eyes scanned the bushes and trees for any signs of life. My lips split into a malevolent grin, a malicious chuckle escaping my lips.

"Now then my little pretties…"

I began to radiate a large amount of killing intent, my body tensing in preparation for action.

" **Where are you?"**

 **Shoto POV**

The little boy known as Todoroki Shoto gulped with nervous tension, his entire body shaking in fear as he sat at a wooden bench in the park, surrounded by trees and grass.

" _Should I have really done this? If I get found out then he'll probably beat me even worse than during training."_

The pro hero Endeavor was currently at work, and would not return until four o'clock. Since school ended for Shoto at two-thirty, this meant that he had some time until his father returned.

The young boy had heard from his mother that the park was beautiful at this time of year, and that it was a shame that he couldn't go. Shoto was forbidden by his father to leave the house unsupervised, making him feel the same as a songbird locked in a small cage. The reason for his father's decision was unknown to the boy, and frankly, it didn't matter.

Shoto knew that anything he said would not be able to move his father in any way. The pro hero was stubborn like that, and trained him in a way that made the boy question if the preservation of his son's emotions mattered at all to Endeavor.

The boy had acknowledged the fact that his father saw him as nothing more than a simple puppet. The only reason he existed was to someday become a hero greater than All Might. This was literally the only reason he was born.

Endeavor had desired the genes of Shoto's mother, forcing her into a loveless marriage to give birth to a child with power over both ice and fire. Todoroki was that child, meaning that Endeavor would raise him for the sole purpose of defeating All Might.

The relationship between Shoto and Endeavor was not one that should ever exist between a father and a son. It was the relationship between a master his dog. Oh, you do what I ask? Good for you. After you have your treat, let's move onto the next step. You're not listening to me? Well no treats for you. No food for the next day either.

However, in this case the "treat" was a mere look of approval where the punishment was a cruel beating that left bruises which took months to heal.

Shoto did not see Endeavor as a father, who also did not see him as a son. Towards his savage warden, the boy felt no compassion, and would easily betray his trust. It was just a matter of courage.

Facing the threat of a savage beating in the case of his father finding out about his disappearance, Shoto was conflicted about going to the park. His mother had explained it to be a "forest of emeralds", vividly describing the park in great detail. From the species of insects to the change in the leaves' color in Autumn, all of these were vivid in her memory. However, whenever she reminisce about the park, her eyes would cloud up for some strange reason.

Shoto had no idea where his mother had came across such vivid information, but could only assume that she had been to the park before and favored it greatly.

It took about a day for Shoto's mother to entrance her son with tales if that viridescent park. And another two for the child to formulate a plan to sneak off to the place.

After all, young children were like that. Even in the face of a cruel punishment, they still could not quell their mischievous urges, especially in the case of Shoto, whose mind was completely ignorant of the emotion known as guilt when dealing with has father.

It wasn't too hard to convince his family members to keep quiet about his little adventure to his father. On the contrary, Shoto's siblings had given him thumbs ups accompanied with proud grins while his mother warned him to be careful, but wordlessly supported his decision. After all, there was noone in the Todoroki family that actually held a great deal of positive emotions towards their patriarch.

Therefore, Shoto was currently sitting in a bench at the public park, thinking upon his past actions. He quickly calmed himself down even though he was trembling in fright before. It wasn't an easy task, but he accomplished it well.

" _What's done is done Shoto. You won't accomplish anything by going back. Just don't stay past the hour and everything will be fine."_

The boy took a deep breath through his lungs. He attempted to take his mind off of the matter with his father by observing the features of the park.

Shoto gasped in shock. He had high expectations of the park as his mother had described it as a beautiful place where nature coexisted perfectly with civilisation. However, he had thought that his mother's descriptions were exatrations, hazy, over glorified memories of scenes that she had seen long ago.

His thoughts were clearly wrong. His mother's memory was as sharp and accurate as a needle. Truly gazing at the park for the first time, Shot realized that his previous thoughts of the park could not be more wrong.

No words in his limited vocabulary could the place justice. It was a scene fit to be the landscape of an utopian society.

A beautiful curved stone road extended as far as the eye could see, akin to a migrating servant sneaking through the grass. The polished stone which made up the platform was without fault, not a single crack tainting the smooth surface of the manmade path.

Fields of emerald grass surrounded the path from both sides, tall and straight. Unwithered and watered regularly, the green vegetation was truly the ultimate synergy of humans and nature.

When all of this majestic beauty was struck with the dazzling light of the setting sun, it appeared as if all the green in the park was that much brighter, the grass and leaves literally shining in the light.

At certain locations on the field of grass sat trees of great bulk and height. Healthy green leaves growing from elongated branches gave off the impression that the trees were larger than their actual size. Birds could be seen resting upon these trees, their merry chirps able to brighten the hearts of even the greatest of cynists.

Yes, Shoto realized instantly that his mother had not exaggerated in any of her tales of this place. In fact, her words were not even able to do the scenery before him justice. It was truly mystifying that the wonderful landscape known as Maruyama Park was not one of the most popular tourist attractions in the whole of Japan. It truly was strange that this place was barely known and that few people actually bothered to come.

However, this was a mystery that would have to be thought upon another time, as Shoto was too busy taking in the scene before his eyes to think of such things.

" _Beautiful."_

With his mouth open and his eyes wide, this was all the young child could think as he gazed at the scenery around him.

Even the bench that he currently sat on was masterfully crafted, well-polished oak wood shaped into symmetrical planks and assembled into the shape of a simple bench. The relaxing smell of wood drifted up into Shoto's nostrils, making him sigh in satisfaction.

Since there was noone around to play with the child, he simply decided to sit in place, continuing to take in the sight of the scenery until his time ran out. Checking his watch, he realized that he had a whole hour left before Endeavor came home. This meant that he still had plenty of time and could continue to feast his eyes for a while more.

Swinging his short feet from his seat, the young Shoto happily hummed, his face supporting an expression that showed the most joy it had for years.

It stayed like this for several minutes, the boy enjoying his time, simply gazing at the grass and trees, taking in the rich scent of the unbound nature around him with his nostrils.

However, after the arrival of the strange girl, this all changed.

Wearing the black and white uniform of an unknown kindergarten, a girl with raven-black hair and dark violet eyes entered Shoto's view. Her hair was a ruined mess, strands of it going in all directions, almost covering her face. Her uniform was a wrinkled mess, worn loosely by the girl who could seem to care less about her attire.

Walking down the curve stone pathway, the girl seemed to notice Shoto's presence. Even from far away, the boy was able to recognise the sheer surprise on the girl's face, and the slight glint of recognition in the girl's eyes. Shoto, at this age, didn't know what that glint was, and had shrugged it off as being part of the girl's eccentricity.

However, when that same girl began to walk down the road, he was unable to keep his eyes off of her for some reason. It was if she had some feature to her that attracted his very being.

The girl, noticing this, smiled brightly and waved at him from her position. Shoto gulped at this. She didn't seem to be dangerous or malevolent in any way, but years of being under Endeavor's harsh training taught him to be cautious towards just about anything.

The girl quickened her pace, walking down the road, and stopped when she was at his location. Walking towards him, she asked,

"Can I take a seat next to you?"

His entire body tense, Shoto warilly accepted her request.

"Ok."

The girl smiled, her eyes radiating some sort of strange compassion that seemed eerily familiar to Shoto.

Taking a seat right next to the boy, Shoto's new acquaintance introduced herself, her melodious and energetic voice resonating with something inside of him.

"I'm Kurokami Mal. What's your name?"

Shoto was much too shocked than he should have been at the prospect of introductions. He realized this and chided himself for his weakness. He decided to not say his family name as there would have been a chance for the girl to realize who he was. Even if she didn't tell Endeavor of his little trip, their future interactions would still be awkward, as being the son of the number two hero made him a pseudo-celebrity.

"I'm To-Shoto. Just Shoto."

The girl's expression was compassionate and accepting. Instead of asking him why he didn't state his family name, she simply accepted his response and didn't elaborate further.

"I see. It's nice to meet you Shoto kun."

Honestly, that voice was truly too warm. Her tone gave off the impression of greeting an old friend, her body language indicating the same. Those eyes didn't help her case either. They held too much compassion towards a total stranger.

Even if he was four years old, Shoto recognised this, and thought of it as something irregular. There was no way Mal could be this way with everyone, right? However, the girl's eccentricity strangely didn't make Shoto want to distance himself. Maybe it was her strange compassion towards him, or her cheerful and friendly voice, but the boy was strangely beginning to take interest towards her.

"It's nice to meet you too, Mal-chan."

Mal simply nodded at his reply before staring at the azure sky. Several seconds passed with neither sides speaking. Since they were the only people in sight, the silence was extremely awkward. To break the silence, Shoto asked Mal a question before he could even think."

"Say, do you like heroes?"

As the words left his lips, the boy had immediately regretted it. His eyes wide in shock, he quietly reprimanded himself in his head.

" _Damn it Shoto! Why would you ask a stranger that? Now she might get suspicious!"_

Shoto had expected the girl to reply with a statement like, "Yes! All Might is so awesome!", or "No, not really." However, the answer that was given to him, was unlike anything that he had expected.

Mal's face morphed into an expression of sight shock before a strange, thoughtful expression planted itself on her face. She answered in an oddly maturely voice, making her seem like a different person than the cheerful girl who had asked him if she could sit next to him. Now, Mal seemed more like an adult, wise and calm with plenty of information to spare.

"Now, that depends. If you ask me if I like all heroes, then I'll definitely say no. After all, there are those people who are in the business just for the money and fame. A large portion of heroes are made up of guys like that. Therefore, there's no way that I could like all heroes."

The girl then smiled in her usual way, that energetic and compassionate smile transforming her face into the same one that attracted Shoto so. Her voice went back to it's old energetic tone, her youth suddenly returning as if her mature side did not exist at all.

"But, I also know that some heroes out there are the real deal. I admire people like All Might, who devotes everything to saving people and making sure that everyone stays hopeful. They are the true heros in our society."

Shoto's eyes brightened, shining with a hopeful light.

" _There's actually someone out there… Someone who doesn't think that he's all that."_

The boy was speechless. There was actually someone out there that didn't admire his father just for being the number two hero, someone who actually recognised the faults of those scumbags who called themselves heroes.

Shoto's heart was filled with respect for the girl known as Kurokami Mal, just for her statement. Those were the words he desperately wanted to hear from someone, anyone. He just wanted there to be someone out there who didn't like heroes just because they had that title.

Unknown to Shoto, there were many people out there who were just like that, reformers who sought to change the hero profession for the better. Mal would just be the first he would meet in his life.

Again, before he realized it, Shoto asked Mal a question that gave yet another hint to his identity. Shouting excitedly with flushed cheeks, the usually quiet boy shoved his face near Mal's, staring into her eyes, asking her a question that he desperately wanted answered by just one person out in the world.

"Then! Then, what about Endeavor?! Is he one of those heroes who are in it for the bad reasons?!"

A small droplet of spitle was launched onto Mal's face as Shoto desperately asked his question. Breaking eye contact, the girl wiped the saliva with her sleeve.

Shoto, realizing what he had done, turned away and began to blush in embarrassment. In a quiet voice, he apologized.

"I'm sorry."

Mal looked at him and answered his question without saying anything about his rude behavior, almost as if he didn't do anything. She spoke in that mature tone again, sounding suspiciously like an adult.

"Let's see….. About Endeavor, right now, I would say yes. Judging from what I can see from TV, he is too prideful and doesn't truly care about the lives of civilians. Sure, he protects them, but that's part of his job, so he has to. To me, he seems as if he's more focused on his own agenda than actually helping people, which makes me think that he's a faulty hero. He does his job fine, but his heart's in the wrong place. That's my opinion.

Shoto's eyes shone with that same admiration. He was simply in awe of the girl before him. It wasn't any day that someone would criticize his father and point out his faults. He did not know that many others could have told him the same thing, and blindly thought of Mal as some sort of messiah, someone that he wanted as a part of his life.

" _This girl… This girl is!..."_

However, the words Mal spoke next distanced her from any normal critics that might have pointed out Endeavor's faults. With her cheerful expression and tone back, she grinned at Shoto with pearly white teeth.

"However, I think that he can change. I mean, even if he's a bad hero right now that doesn't mean that he can't become good right? Everyone can change, they just need the right trigger. If Endeavor manages to change into a hero that cares about the people, then with his immense power, he might even be able to rival All Might in terms of popularity."

The expression on Shoto's face was now a mixture of shock and confusion.

What he had thought before was wrong. This girl was even more special than he thought. Even though she could acknowledge and criticise someone's faults, she still thought that everyone could change.

This made Todoroki think of his own behavior, of his silent hatred of his father. The man had been a demon to him, and he craved for the day when he would be free from his control, or better yet, take revenge on him. If not for him, then for his mother.

However, never at any point in his life had Todoroki Shoto actually believed that his father was capable of change. Never, had he even imagined forgiving Endeavor for the times the man wronged him. The thought simply did not register within his mind.

Realizing this, Shoto again looked to the girl who had made him reflect on his past actions and ideals. It did not matter to him in that moment that their household circumstances were different. Nor did it matter that they had whole different outlooks on life. In that instant, donning that smile that would become her trademark expression to her friends, Kurokami Mal became Todoroki Shoto's idol, the person he strived to become almost as much as All Might. Someone with the most powerful form of strength, the strength to forgive.

This impression would not have been made upon the boy had he been older, or had his worldviews been more stubborn. However, the mind of a four year-old was a malleable thing, a chunk of heated iron waiting to be shaped and cooled. In this case, it could be said that while the hammer known as Endeavor had shaped the iron into a tool for war, the hammer known as Mal then shaped the still-cooling metal of the sword into a beautiful item of jewelry.

In truth, in this moment, there could have many others that could have had a similar effect on Shoto, people he could have thought of just as highly as Mal. Luckily for the girl, she was the one who got to him first.

In that moment, with his mind still processing the massive amounts of admiration flowing through it, Shoto voiced his thoughts aloud unconsciously.

"You would make a great hero."

Mal seemed to be genuinely surprised at that, eyes widening and flinching backwards, she almost fell off of the bench she was sitting on. When she replied to Shoto, her voice was a whole octave higher.

"Ehh?! Really?!"

Shoto was also extremely surprised. He did not think that the girl had this side to her. Besides, what he told her wasn't wrong. With her mindset, he genuinely thought that she was the type of person that would make a great hero. With that smile, he thought that she could be just as famous as All Might in the future.

Replying seriously, Shoto encouraged Mal sincerely.

"Yes, I'm sure that someone like you will surely make a great hero someday."

Mal's eyes were wide as can be, her jaw having long dropped to the floor.

"Eh?! Eh?! Where did that come from?!"

Shoto sighed. It seemed as if Mal wasn't as mature as he had thought. Even so, she wasn't the only one who was too mature for her age.

"Judging by what you just said, I can tell that you're going to be a great hero, Mal-san. After all, the best heroes are always kind and optimistic right?"

Mal just looked at Shoto with wide eyes. She muttered to herself, as if she couldn't believe what he was saying.

"Kind?... Optimistic?... Me?"

Suddenly, the girl's cheeks became flushed, resembling the shade of a ripe tomato. Shoto's eyes widened a little.

" _Someone like this… can actually get flustered?"_

Shoto quickly took the lead as he could see that Mal was too flustered to reply.

"Do you want to be a hero when you grow up?"

At the question, Mal's face suddenly lost its blush as she straightened herself and stared into the air.

"Maybe, maybe not. Being a hero will only fulfill part of my goal."

Shoto's brows furrowed at that. What could be a greater goal than helping the people and saving them from danger?

Seeing this expression on the boy's face, Mal elaborated.

"A hero is someone who saves people, someone people can look up to as a protector, a steel wall to make them safe at night. If you're as successful as All Might, people might even see you as the symbol of hope. However, just protecting people and giving them hope isn't enough for me."

Turning her head to face the blue sky, Mal pointed her finger up at it, her eyes penetrating the sea of blue, as if looking further than the stratosphere itself.

"I want to become more than that. In this world, there is too much discrimination, too much stupidity, and too much ignorance. People are being mistreated because of their quirks or their lack of them. People keep making stupid laws and stupid decisions regarding quirks, something I want to change. My objective is to get everyone in this world to see quirks to be as natural to their own limbs, and to rid the world of these quirk discriminative policies and mindsets. The human race can advance so much if we just embraced our quirks, if we just used them to our advantage. But, people treat them with fear, even hate. It's not only unfair and cruel towards the users, but it prevents us from progressing as a species."

Staring into Shoto's eyes with those determined violet orbs, Mal continued to speak.

"My dream is to create a world where everyone can be happy with each other, a world where noone is looked down upon or feared because of their quirks or lack of quirks. To do that, becoming a hero could possibly be the first step, but definitely not the last. To make the changes I want, I need to become more than that. I need enough influence to show the world that even quirkless people should be treated with respect, and that even people with dark and violent quirks can be integrated into society without the constant fear of death or harm."

Shoto didn't even realize that Mal had finished speaking, as what she had just said permanently broadened his mindscape. The boy had always thought that the apex of everything he aspired to be was the the number one hero. However, the girl before him had just presented him with a position that greatly dwarfed the one he had thought to be the apex of all quirk users. It was like handing a globe to someone who though that Africa was the whole of Earth.

Shoto's admiration for Mal grew even further. She was able to look ridiculously far for someone of her age. Even Endeavor, an experienced hero who was over thirty years old, had set his goal at the position of number one hero. To think that someone whose goal was set even further than one of the most ambitious men he had ever known. Shoto knew in that instant that Kurokami Mal was truly someone who he would only meet once in this lifetime.

The cheerful words spoken by Mal next knocked Shoto out of his thoughts.

"Anyways, that's enough about me. I've told you my dream already, so it's only fair that you tell me yours in return right?"

Shoto placed a hand under his chin, thinking for more than a dozen seconds before answering in a quiet, almost whisper-like voice, looking down at the ground almost in shame.

"It's nothing special compared to yours though."

Mal's arms suddenly reached out, her hands holding both sides of Shoto's face. She slowly brought his face up so his eyes were level with hers. Donning a supportive smile, she easily dented Shoto's earlier statement.

"Nonsense. Every dream is special and unique. There's no way any dream could be inferior to another."

Staring into those bright violet eyes, filled with compassion, there was no way that Shoto could bring himself to refrain from answering her question. In a quiet voice, with a rare happy smile decorating his face, he answered,

"I want to be a hero, a hero who suppasses All Might."

As if expecting this answer, Mal laughed playfully and flicked Shoto's forehead with her index finger, making him yelp slightly in pain. How so much strength could come from a simple flick, Shoto would never know.

Jumping off the bench in a burst of energy, Mal leaned towards him, her hands held behind her back.

"That's more like it! If you diss your dream again I'll flick you, got it?!"

Wincing at the small red bruise on his forehead, Shoto could only nod in response.

"Your dream is perfectly fine ok? Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

The boy smiled at this display of kindness. He was beginning to associate its very concept to his newfound friend.

Smiling fondly, he nodded happily.

"Ok!"

Mal grinned.

"Great. Now, I have to meet with someone at four o'clock so would you mind telling me the time on your watch?"

Shoto glanced down on the contraption on his arm and visibly paled. It was three-thirty, meaning that he had thirty minutes to get home until his father arrived at four o'clock.

It took him forty minutes to get home.

Sweating nervously, the boy leapt up from his seat and started to sprint towards the exit of the park, every muscle in his body completely tense.

While sprinting, he shouted loudly to Mal,

"Can you meet up with me tomorrow at the same time?!"

Staring at the sprinting boy, Mal's face twisted into an expression of sincere shock before a large smile took its place.

Shouting energetically to the sprinting boy, the raven-haired girl waved at him as a sign of farewell.

"You can bet on it! Let's talk more tomorrow ok?!"

There was no answer from Shoto, as he had already ran out of Mal's sight. However, there was no doubt in the girl's mind that he heard her loud and clear.

 **Narrator POV**

Turning in the other direction, Mal began to walk towards the park entrance, the location where she promised to meet with Bakugou.

It was time for the final bossfight. Mal had the luck to find and befriend Todoroki Shoto and Midoriya Izuku. It honestly wasn't too hard as she knew how to push their buttons to make them like her almost immediately.

Now, it was time to finally befriend Bakugou, the hardest thing Kurokami Mal would ever do in all her four years of life.


	6. The Taming of Katsuki Bakugou

**I'm going to say this right now**

 **This story is not going to be what you think it is**

 **In the future, I plan to add a huge twist that will definitely put it in the mature section**

 **Also, this story will be a multicrossover**

 **Normal POV**

Thirty minutes now. That was how much time left until Bakugou came, hopefully. I couldn't perfectly predict his actions even if I did know his character.

If he didn't come, then I would have to find some other method to get close to him. However, that would take way too much effort.

I desperately wished for him to come, just so I could get my feelings across to him without anyone else around us.

Yes, that would be ideal, wouldn't it? I would just have to hope for the best. After all, the world wouldn't fulfill my demands just like that. If he didn't come, then at least I met Shouto.

Honestly, my luck was simply the best. I considered tracking that guy down to tell him to not resent his father and to use his fire side to improve his hero career, but decided not to do so anytime soon. I couldn't show that I knew everything about him. That would make him wary of me, something that I really didn't want.

When I saw the kid sitting on a bench, to say that I was surprised would have been an understatement. I mean, what were the chances of the little Rapunzel who was supposedly locked up in his tower being in the same public park that I chose to meet Bakugou in?

I decided to refrain from asking any more questions. After all, they were unnecessary.

If things went according to my original plans, then I would have had to break into Endeavor's house and meet with Shouto, something that I really didn't want to do.

Picturing the stern face of Todoroki Enji in real life sent a burst of shivers up my spine. I did not want to meet that guy anytime soon. So, it was really good for me that everything turned out the way it did.

Shoto was really cute, his energetic questions about heroes almost making me want to coo at him. However, I had the appearance of a four-year-old girl, so doing that would have been really strange.

It was really difficult to not consult him on his abusive relationship with his father, but if I showed him that I knew, he would probably get suspicious. Even if he was four, he was still Todoroki Shouto, which meant that he could have easily deduced anything fishy about my statements. In fact, he might already be slightly suspicious of my strange behavior.

Oh well, it wouldn't amount to anything. After all, that worshipping light in his eyes was definitely genuine. I had no idea what I did to make him idolize me though. I mean, I didn't even have to push his buttons. He straight up engaged me with that weird question out of nowhere. Honestly, who asks a random girl who you've just met a question like that? We had just introduced ourselves!

Well, it didn't really matter since it worked in my favor in the end. The important thing was that Shouto became my friend, and possibly my admirer.

When I came to this world, I made up my mind to befriend all three protagonists of the show, Izuku, Shouto, and Bakugou. If I saw other members of class 1A, then I would try to befriend them too, but the big three definitely took top priority. The inner otaku in me demanded so.

My objective was a selfish one, and I was fine with that. I was living a wonderful life with my parents, a life that I wanted to live forever. However, this wish was extremely unrealistic and foolish. After all, I would grow up and move up one day. One day, after that, my parents would die before me. They weren't old, but the chances of them lasting as long as me were near nonexistent.

Therefore, I needed other people in my life, people who would care for me and love me as if I was their family. I needed friends.

Not long after my second birthday, I started to dream. My own compassion shocked me to a great extent. In my old world, I was somewhat cynical and antisocial, so I never really cared about anyone. Everything was just so dull and grey to me as if I was trapped in an old black and white film. Everyone seemed to look the same, all wearing that strange, neutral expression when they looked at me.

It was silly. I Lived in an apartment complex in a large city with more than a few thousand citizens, so why did it feel if I was the only human in the whole world?

Why did I feel so alone?

The answer was obvious really. I never interacted with any of those people, glancing at them slightly, but exchanged no words. It was obvious that they would not associate with me.

However, I only gained this wisdom after I left my old world behind, after being run over by a truck.

Now, I was in a new world, a world where everything was so colorful, so full of individuality.

It was like showing a myriad of colors to a colorblind person. I was completely enlightened.

There was no way that I would ever go back to my life of being a NEET ever again. I would never go through that emptiness ever again. I swore this to myself during the first year of my new life.

It was after I made that pledge that I began to notice something peculiar.

It would appear that I did not know myself as well as I thought, as my own thoughts and actions surprised me.

Even towards strangers, I seemed to feel so compassionate, so caring. Maybe it was because they didn't feel like carbon copies of the same person, or maybe it was because I had changed for the better.

It was only after that I finally realized that I had become kind and compassionate towards others that I finally set my goal.

I would change this world for the better and make sure that smiles were plastered on everyone's faces. After stating my goal, I truly realized that I had changed. After all, the woman who I used to be would never willingly have undertaken such an arduous task, especially not for the benefit of strangers. But now, I seemed to even care for the people who I have never met. I welcomed this change within myself. After all, even if I rejected it, there was nothing I could do to change my own personality.

To accomplish my goal, I needed influence, even more than All Might himself. To reform those concrete laws which chained down the quirks of countless innocents, I needed overwhelming power. Well, it was less dramatic than I thought, but my dream was still the same.

Even if the series did not come to a close in my time in my old world, I was still sure that the three people who I wanted to befriend would become some of the most influential and powerful heroes in Japan, if not in the whole world. I was especially confident in Izuku since it was revealed that he would become the greatest hero in the whole world.

Therefore, befriending these three protagonists was a combination of the demands of my inner otaku and the need for their power.

I made up my mind to seek them out and befriend them one by one. I made plans for every single one of them. I even memorized a script of what to say to make them trust me.

It was slightly frustrating that those plans would prove to be completely useless. I mean, what was the point of seeking them out if they found me first?

First was Izuku, who I met at the zoo out of pure coincidence. Saving him from the tiger was just complete and utter luck. I literally did not have to say a single thing to him for him to like me and see me as a friend.

Next was Shouto, who I met randomly in a public park where I was waiting for Bakugou.

I was preparing myself to say the lines I memorized when he took complete control of the conversation and made me answer all those questions. Somehow, even so, I basically befriended him and possibly made him worship me.

This wasn't even the strangest part. No, the strangest part was myself. Out of all the strange things that have occurred in this world, the changes to my own self were the most eccentric.

I leaped into the path of a pouncing lion without a second thought to save someone, I had possibly the most elaborate quirk on the planet, and worst of all, I somehow possessed inhuman charisma.

Honestly, it took me a single conversation with Shouto to make him idolize me, with him controlling the conversation. This honestly scared me.

Seriously, who the hell was I supposed to be, the sensei character? Before I even realized, I started to blab on and on about the questions he wanted answered.

I mean, I meant everything I said, but it was like my mouth was moving on its own.

That said, even if my original purpose for befriending the three boys were not for the purest of reasons, I still became strangely attached to them. Even if we had only known each other for a month, I already saw Izuku as my own little brother and would do just about anything for him.

Just after one conversation with Shouto, I already saw him as a trusted friend, someone who I could share all of my secrets with.

Most importantly, however, was Bakugou, who I just told off a day earlier. Even if he didn't seem to like me, and almost hurt Izuku, I still saw him as a friend. Albeit, a misguided friend who needed to be led towards the correct path, but a friend nonetheless.

Honestly, what was with me? Something like this was not normal even if my whole personality changed.

Continuing to think deeply, my feet unconsciously carried my body down the path which lead to the park entrance. My head faced the stone road itself, my eyes staring towards nothing.

It took me about five minutes to reach the entrance. I stopped my thoughts when I realized that I was about to walk out of the large gate-shaped greenery.

Smiling to myself, I exited the park, my hands behind my back. Looking at the dirty ground which made up the front of the entrance, I thought to myself,

" _Oh well, these clothes are sweat as hell anyways. There's no problem if I get a little bit of dirt on it."_

Shrugging lazily, I sat down upon the dirty ground, my dress becoming slightly dirt-plastered.

I could see my mother's face in my mind.

"Don't sit on the ground dear. You'll get your clothes dirty."

I sighed in slight shame, beginning to mutter.

"Sorry mom. It's been a long day and I'm tired as hell, so just excuse me this one time, ok?"

Sitting Indian style, I patiently waited for the arrival of Katsuki Bakugou.

 **One Hour Later**

My right eyelid began to twitch at supersonic speed.

Where the actual hell was Bakugou? He was definitely late! I didn't have a watch on me, but it had definitely been over thirty minutes.

Certainly, I was angry, but inside, I knew that it could not be helped.

Bringing my right hand upwards to my face, covering it, I sighed in defeat.

It simply couldn't be helped. He probably wasn't coming.

I had expected this result, so to say that I was surprised about it would be a lie. However, this did not mean that I was not disappointed. After all, this would mean that I would have to find another method to confront Bakugou, which would be difficult. After all, he was always surrounded by his little gang of bullies, so talking to him when he was alone would be near impossible.

" _Oh well, there's no helping it. It's definitely past four already. It's a shame, but he's not coming."_

Sighing again in exasperation, I rose from the ground, patting the dirt off my skirt with both hands. Placing them behind my back, I began to walk away from the entrance with a glum expression.

There was nothing I could do about it. If Bakugou didn't want to come, there was no way to force him. After all, who would just accept such a ridiculous invitation from a stranger like me, right? I mean, we were at odds with each other the last time we met, so he was probably wary, if not completely uninterested in me.

I attempted to comfort myself with such thoughts, but it did not work very well. I already knew the reasons for my anger and depression was childish at best, but I still held onto it. After all, a child could afford to be childish, couldn't she?

" _Goddammit, I just can't give up can I?"_

The adult in me advised that going home and trying again another day was the best course of action. After all, what were the chances of Bakugou actually coming to meet me when he was this late?

Therefore, it would best for me to go home and celebrate my birthday before my parents became worried. Hell, they were probably already worried. Staying here would just be more trouble than it was worth.

The sun was going down and it would be dark soon, meaning that the chances of danger appearing would increase by a tremendous amount. There was no telling what types of people came out at night. I should have gone home if only for my own safety.

Besides, I had met Todoroki Shouto already, so my effort was not a complete waste.

The childish part of me, however, told me to throw caution to the wind. The chance of danger was relatively low, and even if someone appeared, I was sure that I could at least surprise them with my increased strength.

Mostly, I just didn't want to give up. Despite my logic telling me otherwise, some part of my heart believed that Bakugou would come, no matter how late it was. I had no idea where this part of me came from, and how it would come to trust Bakugou so much.

Of course, he would never forsake a friend, I knew that better than anyone. However, I wasn't exactly considered his friend, was I? It would be hard to predict the way he would treat me. I knew his character well, but not well to know his every move.

Even so, that mysterious part of my heart kept telling me that he would come, and it was becoming difficult to ignore its whispers.

I clutched my head in annoyance, the clashing between my brain and my heart giving me a headache. When I finally calmed down, I decided to make a compromise.

If I ignored the warnings of my heart and went home, I was certain that I would regret it, even though I didn't know why. However, my logic was also sound. I couldn't stay for too long.

"Fine, I'll stay for thirty more minutes."

I eventually made that decision, my voice tired.

It was just thirty more minutes. The sun wouldn't completely set after that small amount of time. This would have to do. It would be too dangerous to wait any longer, but I thought that I could afford a mere thirty minutes. I was a very patient girl after all.

Walking back towards my previous spot near the park entrance, I sat down upon the dirt ground again, trying to not be driven to insanity by my boredom.

 **Bakugou POV: Thirty Minutes Later**

The boy glared at the dirt road before him, clearly irritated.

This irritation was mostly directed at himself rather than anything else. After all, he had decided to take the girl up on her offer for some infernal reason. Whatever this reason was, it was unknown to Bakugou. After all, why the hell would he meet up with such suspicious and strange girl like Kurokami Mal?

The blonde noticed the eccentricities of the girl more than both Izuku and Shouto combined, meaning that he was extremely suspicious of her. He felt as if he could not trust any of the words coming from her mouth. They would all be sweetened lies and honeyed half-truths. After all, how could he trust a being whose own body was a lie?

The girl was clearly an adult. Her eyes said it all. Therefore, it didn't matter how young her body seemed, she was still an adult, and in turn, a lying vixen.

Bakugou had no idea what manner of quirk she used to make her body one of a four-year-old girl's, and it honestly didn't matter.

From Izuku's words and body language, he had no idea of Mal's true nature, meaning that this new friend did not entrust her secret to him.

For this very reason, Bakugou had almost resolved himself to warn his old friend for his sake. However, he avoided this as Mal did not seem to want to harm Izuku, even saving him from the attack of a pouncing lion. Bakugou did not exactly trust Mal, but knew that she wasn't exactly a threat.

This was solidified even further by her behavior the previous day. She had defended Izuku with all of her being, even when she had no power. Most importantly, even though she was outnumbered and outclassed, she showed no fear, which was more then what could be said for the boy she defended.

Bakugou begrudgingly respected this courage. Adult or not, anyone who could produce that powerful aura should never be taken lightly.

In that second, when he stared into Mal's determined eyes, he almost thought that he was staring straight at a concrete wall. In that second, Bakugou had recognized the girl's worth, even willing to see her as a rival if she would just stop being so mysterious.

However, even so, that was no reason to meet up with her right? There was no real friendship between them, having only met each other two times, not on the best of terms either.

In fact, they should have become enemies instead, scorning each other. After, Bakugou had almost harmed Mal's friend, and she had gotten in his way.

Still, for some reason that the boy could not identify, he felt as if he should act civilized with the girl instead of declaring war on her. His six sense was telling him to get on her good side at all costs. For some reason, his gut clenched every time he thought about being on bad terms with Mal.

This probably had something to do with her secretly possessing the mind of an adult, but that was not all, even if there was no evidence of anything else.

But, there was just something in the girl, a well hidden, sinister aura that was just waiting to be unleashed. Since Bakugou was extra sensitive towards such things, his subconsciousness recognized this side of Mal and strived to get on her good side in sheer fear. Of course, Bakugou himself did not realize this and therefore, was not able to explain his urge to make peace with the girl.

Even so, the boy would still trust his instincts on this matter. It had never failed him before after all.

Still, this did not mean that Bakugou had to actually like Mal, just get on her good side, which shouldn't be too hard. Then again, he did not know if the girl would forgive him again for attacking Izuku, and he desperately wanted to do that most of the time.

Strange and contradictory thoughts swimming in the inside of his mind, the unusually timid Bakugou slowly walked forwards, intent on reaching the entrance of the park, where he could meet with the girl who occupied his thoughts.

Bakugou knew for a fact that he was probably more than an hour late for the meeting. However, he didn't care too much.

" _Keh, it's not my fault that my clock was so far behind. Besides, what can that weak girl even do about it? Bore me to death with hurt eyes? Hah!"_

Snorting in arrogance, Bakugou continued to walk, not feeling the least bit sorry for making the girl he was going to meet with wait a whole hour for him to arrive. (two hours lol)

However, after five seconds, the blonde realized something that made him choke on his own saliva.

Eyes widening, Bakugou began to cough to eject the enzymes from his windpipe, teeth clenching in anger after he finished.

" _What if she went home because she thought that I wouldn't come?"_

If Mal actually went home because she thought that Bakugou wasn't coming, then the half-hour he spent walking to the park would have been a complete waste of time. After all, he had never replied to her request and probably gave off the impression that he was never interested in it anyways. He knew that if he was in Mal's shoes, he would never wait as long as thirty minutes for him to come.

Cursing mentally, the blonde stomped on the road he walked on, killing quite a few insects in the process.

"Dammit! Dammit! What the hell?! If I actually wasted this much time walking here for no reason, then I'll smash that girl's face in!"

Swearing angrily, Bakugou did not acknowledge the fact for Mal's possible departure was his fault, and that he had only himself to blame if he spent all this time for nothing.

It was easily recognizable that the chances of Mal actually waiting so long for him were close to zero, a result that was near impossible.

Glaring at the dirt road in front of him with a glare that reflected all the contempt in the world, the blonde continued to begrudgingly walk forwards.

" _Keh, I came all this way. I might as well see it through to the end."_

After that thought entered Bakugou's mind, he continued to walk on the road until he reached its end, the entrance of the park.

He was not by any means expecting Mal to be there. However, Bakugou was close to the entrance, and he might as well checked just to be sure. After all, the chances were close to, but not exactly zero.

Sighing in resignation, the blonde continued to walk, surprisingly strong legs escorting him to his destination, all the while, not feeling the least bit of guilt about his actions.

 **Normal POV**

Rhythmically tapping my right index finger against my other arm, I attempted to relieve my boredom through any means possible. It wasn't that long after I promised myself to stay at the entrance for thirty more minutes. However, the boredom had gotten me long before I made that promise, and it was eating away at my sanity.

I didn't think that I could wait much longer. At this rate, I might have actually went insane. The boredom was simply that unbearable. Humming a tune to myself, I looked at my surroundings with uninterested eyes.

Sighing with disappointment, I covered my face with my right hand.

Muttering under my breath, I desperately said the words that I had to let out.

"Dammit Bakugou. How much longer are you going to make me wait?"

Completely ignoring the fact that the boy had a chance of not even showing up. Not even a high chance really, more like the chance was so close to zero that the percentage of it happening was less than one.

Still, I had hope in that kid for some wretched reason, thus waiting for him such a long time. It was really taking a lot out of me.

Someone should not be feeling this way on their birthday, especially not a four-year-old. Oh wait, I was five now. Not like it made a difference though.

Continuing to sit in place for what I thought was ten minutes, I held onto my sanity with discipline that I did not think that I possessed, and managed to make it to the end.

Just as I was about to give up and leave the park, he appeared.

Wearing a yellow shirt and dark brown shorts, the unmistakable figure of Katsuki Bakugou entered my field of vision. His hands shoved in his pockets, he walked towards me with his head down, his mind not even registering my existence.

I leaped up from my sitting position with great vigor, my lips curling into a great smile.

" _He came! He actually came!"_

I was about to sprint down the road and embrace the boy in joy before I remembered the reason for my unhappiness earlier.

Why the hell was I so happy when he was this late?!

My eyebrow began to twitch quickly again, a rush of anger spreading through my body, increasing my body temperature.

This was too much. I might have been fine if he did not come, as that would simply show that he ignored my request, something I could begrudgingly accept.

However, taking me up on my offer and arriving more than an hour late? Seriously? Did he just want to spite me?

Probably not. There was a good chance that the blonde had simply lost his grip on time, same as I had.

Still though, even when I knew that my anger was unreasonable, I could still not let go of it. This was simply how humans worked.

" _Whan that little brat gets here, I'll beat his ass into outer space."_

I angrily thought this while watching over the figure of the child walking on the road, the same child who still did not yet notice my presence.

Hopefully, I could rein in my anger when he reached my location. After all, if I failed to do so, then this little peace conference would quickly devolve into a battle.

 **Bakugou POV**

Bakugou was close to the entrance now, slowly walking down the road with his head down. He had all but given up for Mal waiting for him. After thinking about it for a while, he realized that any hopes he had of the girl's generosity would definitely be unfounded.

Still, he would see this through to the end. After all, he was Katsuki Bakugou, the person who would become one of the greatest heroes someday. This meant that he couldn't give up no matter what he did, not even if he knew it was most likely pointless.

Continuing to walk down the road in a sullen mood, the blonde didn't notice the far away form of the person he came for until he was right next to her.

 **Normal POV**

" _Seriously? Oi oi, this is a little too much don't you think?"_

My face was rapidly twitching, unknowing rather to form an expression of amusement or anger. The sight before my eyes was just that strange.

Bakugou walked down the road, his head down, probably thinking that I had already gone home. Yes, this was natural, he was ridiculously late after all. He was extremely lucky that I did not follow my logical side and simply walk home.

However, this was just too much.

The kid had been walking for minutes now, his face unreadable as it was hidden by his yellow hair. How someone could keep their head down for that amount of time without irritating their neck, I would never know.

However, that wasn't the important part. The true reason for my amusement and frustrated anger was the fact that the dense blonde had not noticed my presence at all, his body language stating that he still thought that I had gone home when in reality, I was quite literally in front of him.

My frustrated side wanted to shout to him, to inform him of my presence, information that the blonde could easily confirm to be true the instant he lifted his head.

Seeing something like this, such easily fixable ignorance, and not doing anything about it, was akin to having a strong itch and refusing to scratch at it. It was infuriating.

This made it difficult keeping the side of me who wanted nothing more than to reveal myself to the blonde in control.

However, I did, because the side of me who wanted a good laugh was able to overpower my frustrated side.

Physically, I was staring blankly at Bakugou, my expression neutral and blank.

However, mentally, I was rolling on the floor of my mind, laughing my heart out.

Seeing the blonde child's ignorance unchanged for several moments only added to the hilarity of the scene, breaking my impassive expression.

A small amused smile appeared on my face thanks to this.

" _Oh my God! How has he still not noticed me yet?!"_

I continued to observe the blonde, inwardly laughing.

It had been already five whole minutes since Bakugou entered my field of vision. Those were the best five minutes in all five years of my new life.

The sight was simply that funny to me.

Well, I wouldn't deny having a twisted sense of humor, but something like this would get to anyone. Its effects on me were just amplified.

Soon, Bakugou had reached the entrance, his head still down.

I grew somewhat somber at this, knowing that the show was now over. However, there was a side of me that was still amused, as the blonde was still unable to recognize my presence despite only being a few feet away from me.

Seeing that he was beginning to tilt his lowered head upwards in an attempt to sense for my presence, I tried my best to conceal myself, sneaking behind the boy, only a foot behind him.

Bakugou had raised his head, looking side to side. He cursed silently once he was unable to confirm my whereabouts.

"Kuh, I knew this would be a waste of time."

At those words, I decided to reveal myself. I had my fun already, it was time to get serious.

Grinning mischievously, I silently leaned my head right next to his ear and whispered into it,

"What's a waste of time?"

Stifling the laugh that I wanted to produce after the surprised yelp of the blonde was perhaps the most difficult thing I had to do for the first five years of my life.

 **Bakugou POV**

To say that the blonde was surprised would be an understatement. To say that he was angry would be an even greater understatement.

Somehow, the girl had sneaked all the way around him and ambush him in his greatest moment of disappointment.

He would forever deny letting out the girlish yelp he produced that day for the rest of his life.

Leaping forward with shivers down his back, Bakugou's face was pale, his face twisted into an expression of pure shock.

"AAAAHHHH!"

It didn't matter if he was going to become one of the greatest heroes in the future, Bakugou was still a four-year-old then, and he acted like a four-year-old should have.

Turning around, the pale white shade of the blonde's face suddenly flushed with a deep red, making it resemble the outside of a tomato. This was a combination of both anger and embarrassment, most of it being anger.

After all, Bakugou did not take kindly of being tricked like this.

The sight of the merrily laughing Kurokami Mal provoked the blonde even further, making smoke pour out of his ears.

Even if he knew that the laughing was good-natured, Bakugou still had a reputation to uphold, which meant that he could not let anyone laugh at him like that, even if that person was a girl.

The blonde would not let the mysterious girl get away with this.

"Why you!"

Teeth clenched in fury, Bakugou brought one of his arms back, ready to unleash the full force of his punch at Mal, completely ignoring the fact that she was a girl.

Seeing this, Mal, who did not want to be struck by a blow which could likely shatter bones, quickly attempted to make peace.

Holding her hands up in a universal sign of surrender, the girl exclaimed cheerfully,

"Hold on! Hold on! I give up!"

Bakugou, barely hearing this through his rage-filled body, began to slowly advance towards Mal, his fist still drawn back ominously in preparation for the punch.

A malicious grin lit up on the blonde's face, almost sadistic.

Seeing this, Mal paled while cold sweat began to drip down her back. Slowly backing up, she attempted to make peace after gulping nervously.

"W-wait, I'm sorry. I didn't know that it would make you this mad. O-oi, let's just leave this behind us, ok?"

Seeing the still unresponsive face on the blonde's face, his face still split into that bloodthirsty grin, the amount of cold sweat dripping from Mal's back increased tenfold as a nervous grin devoid of amusement appeared on her face.

"U-uh, I remembered something that I needed to take care of, so bye!"

Without waiting for Bakugou's reaction, the girl immediately turned around and sprinted into the park, determined to get as far as she could from Bakugou.

The blonde, seeing this, growled in irritation, popping a blood vessel on his face. It was a mystery how a four-year-old could look like a bloodthirsty demon straight from hell, but Bakugou somehow did the image justice at that moment.

"GET BACK HERE!"

Screaming furiously, the blonde sprinted into the park after the girl, unconsciously triggering explosions in his hands while doing so.

Mal, seeing this, paled even more, sprinting forwards with every ounce of her strength. It was if there was a wild beast on her trail, determined to tear her apart.

"I SAID, GET THE HELL BACK HERE!"

"No! I don't want to die!"

"AAAHHHGGG!"

"Noooooooo!"

 **Normal POV**

" _Why the hell is he this angry?"_

I only whispered from behind him playfully, there was no reason for him to be this angry. Even for being prideful, there were limits, right?

I didn't think that doing what I did would piss him off to the point of wanting my blood. This was definitely an overreaction.

Personally, I didn't think that anything would happen to me even if Bakugou got his hands on me. After all, I doubted that he would hurt me too bad. This was somewhat naive thinking, but Bakugou was only four. He wouldn't do something too bad. Not for something like this.

Then again, His treatment towards Deku proved otherwise.

Oh well, there was nothing I could do about it at this point. I would have to hope for the best.

Still, there was no way in hell I was about to let this guy catch me. Even if I was me, I still had a small scrap of pride.

Besides, what gave my legs strength at that moment were the natural human instincts. It would seem that my body had equated Bakugou to a ferocious predator. Well, I couldn't exactly say that it was wrong. I mean, the expression he made towards me made him seem just like one.

That bloodthirsty grin on his face made me shiver once more in fear. Nope, I was definitely not slowing down.

We were inside the park now. I had long since lost track exactly where I was. After all, one couldn't be bothered with geography if they were being chased down by a fearsome predator like Bakugou, could they?

I continued to run, he continued to chase.

This went on until we both became tired, which probably took over ten whole minutes.

Honestly, I had super strength, probably more than any other kid my age thanks to my quirk, which was why I was really surprised when Bakugou could keep up with me. Our physical strength was probably equal, which was extremely troubling.

Even though I only had one day's worth of bug killing, my quirk still worked wonders, increasing my strength to a point where I doubted I could reach even if I trained my body for a whole year.

Yet, this guy could keep up with me even though I had this unfair advantage. That fact suddenly registered within my mind, and I was slightly disturbed with the notions of it.

Seriously though! Bakugou had that overpowered quirk of his already! How the heck did he get super strength?!

Then, I remembered that even in the manga, Bakugou's strength even without his quirk was bordering superhuman. I had no idea how he became like that, but it was just the way it was.

Besides, I couldn't really call his quirk overpowered when I had something as absurd as " **Birthday Wish"** , could I?

At the time, I did not have much more attention to spare to think about such things, as I quickly ejected the thoughts from my brain. The reason was quite obvious.

Bakugou was gaining on me.

Paling considerably, I furthered the distance between us with a desperate burst of energy.

I didn't know where the energy came from, and I could care less. One thing I did know, however, was that I would do just about anything to keep Bakugou off me.

Even if it was illogical, my body was prepared to use every trick up its sleeve to escape the blonde.

It must have been the leftover instincts of my prehistoric ancestors, running from giant predators. Bakugou was probably as dangerous as a sabertooth tiger, just as fast too.

I could feel my body quickly tiring, as my breaths were quickly becoming fast-paced and loud. My heart rate had greatly increased and sweat was pouring from me like a river.

There was no more energy to spare for useless thoughts and actions.

Because of this, I focused all of my attention on running, trying my best to pace myself, even though I knew that it would be useless against Bakugou, as that bloodthirsty reservoir of energy zoomed towards me, every step powered by a hundred percent of his energy.

This was really going to be a long day, wasn't it?

 **Bakugou POV**

Bakugou refused to be made a fool by anyone, not even All Might.

Even if Mal's antics held no trace of malignant intent, they were still unacceptable to Bakugou.

Embarrassment mixed with anger in the pot of emotions, and when pride was added, the whole thing exploded.

Something like this was overreacting even by his standards, but he wanted to show the girl her place.

He would teach her to not make a fool of Katsuki Bakugou if she knew what was good for her.

This was why he chased Mal all over the park, sprinting full force for more than ten whole minutes.

This was also the reason that he was completely exhausted, having long since fallen to the ground, his ragged breathing quick and tired.

Mal was the same, sweat dripping from her long black hair and forehead.

However, even in that exhausted state, the girl still talked to Bakugou.

"H-Have you finally c-calmed down y-yet?"

The blonde, seeing no more cause in hostilities, having already shed his anger, answered with an annoyed made from his mouth.

"Kuh."

Mal's face was suddenly adjourned with a tired, almost pained smile

"G-glad to h-hear it."

Bakugou simply clicked his tongue in frustration. He had yet to forgive the girl for surprising him.

In an instant, the shine in Mal's eyes changed from relief to anger, as the smile on her face morphed into a frown. Remembrance had graced her.

Tapping into another unknown reservoir of energy, the girl quickly covered the distance between her and Bakugou and gave him a vicious flick on the forehead.

The blond's head reeled backward as he hissed with newfound fury and pain.

Bringing his face forwards, he tiredly brought his fists up as he glared at Mal.

"What the hell was that?! Ya wanna fight?!"

Mal huffed in annoyance and pouted, sitting down with her head turned away from the blonde.

"Humph, that was for being over an hour late for our meeting."

Bakugou growled aggressively, practically screaming out his answer.

"Huh?! So what?! Why the hell do I have to meet you at the time you set anyways?! You're not the boss of me!"

A sliver of hurt shined in Mal's dark violet eyes as her voice lost all of its anger, suddenly becoming quiet and almost, sad?

"I waited more than an hour for your sake. On my birthday, no less."

The blonde's eyes widened as a small hint of guilt assaulted the iron bastion that was his brain.

Birthdays were times of importance, time that should be spent happily with family and friends. They were supposed to be the happiest days of the year, and not a single one would ever come back if wasted.

Bakugou was still a four-year-old, which meant that he still saw birthdays as holy, the one day of the year where everyone deserved to be happy.

However, the small hint of guilt quickly morphed into anger, as he could not believe the stupidity of the girl, and also his own misdirected guilt. Bakugou berated himself for feeling that emotion in this situation.

After all, it wasn't as if he had forced him to wait for her. In fact, she had been the one to invite him to the park, meaning that she should have been prepared if he didn't come.

Completely ignoring that, not even a half-hour ago, he craved Mal's presence at the park, Bakugou began to mock the girl for her foolishness.

"Huh?! Are you insane?! Waiting that long? On your birthday? Just how dumb can you be?!"

Mal lowered her head, facing the ground, her hair masking any expressions that might have been on her face.

"I believed in you."

Bakugou's mouth hung open in shock.

Just what kind of idiot was this girl?

Mal simply continued to speak.

"I believed that you would come."

The blonde, having regained control of himself, snorted in annoyance.

"Huh?! The hell do you mean, 'believe in me'?! I don't even know you!"

Mal suddenly brought her face up, staring into his eyes with her dark violet orbs, a compassionate smile on her lips.

Bakugou sputtered. What the hell was that smile? How could that girl make that kind of smile at his expense when they barely knew each other? It just didn't make sense.

"But it looks like I was right. Even if you're fashionably late, you're here!"

Mal exclaimed excitedly, her anger at him seemingly dissipated.

Bakugou clicked his tongue in annoyance.

"Yeah. So I'm here. Now tell me why you asked for me."

Mal continued to smile.

"I needed to talk to you alone. I want us to get to know each other and to be frie-"

Bakugou replied quickly before the girl could finish her statement.

"Not interested. I don't want to be friends with someone like you."

These words seemed to genuinely hurt Mal as she recoiled as if struck. Bakugou could see the tears welling up in her eyes.

The pain was clearly reflected in the girl's eyes even if she was able to keep the tears from falling.

Mal spoke in a shaky and vulnerable voice

"I-I-I…. Why?"

This was very strange to Bakugou, whose eyes were wide in surprise again. This girl was just full of surprises.

When Bakugou had endangered Mal's well being that day, she didn't even flinch, standing in front of Izuku courageously, unyielding even before the threat of bodily harm.

The blonde thought that even a train moving at full speed wouldn't be able to crush the impenetrable wall that was Mal's spirit, but here he was, having broken it with a few simple words.

Kurokami Mal. Just who was this girl?

Bakugou huffed and replied to question heatedly.

"Huh?! Isn't it obvious?! You're creepy as hell?! You look like a kid, but your eyes look like an adult's!"

Mal's head lowered once more as her secret had been found out. Her words were almost like a whisper, almost devoid of emotion.

"What does that have to do with anything?"

Bakugou's face contorted in annoyance.

"Keh. How the hell do you expect me to trust you when your whole body is a lie?"

Mal looked genuinely surprised at this as her eyes radiated confusion. She looked at Bakugou questioningly.

"What are you talking about?"

Bakugou clicked his tongue.

"Don't act like you don't know anything. You're just using a quirk to make yourself look younger, aren't you?

Mal seemed to be genuinely surprised at this as she recoiled with genuine shock. She was barely able to register what Bakugou had just said.

"Eh?"

One second later, the girl suddenly realized what the blonde truly implied, and widened her eyes in surprise, her voice rising by a whole octave.

"EHHHH?!"

Bakugou became infuriated at this reaction, something he saw as unreasonable.

"Don't play dumb with me dammit!"

Mal held up her hands defensively as if Bakugou was accusing her of crimes she did not commit.

"H-hold on just a second! Don't just infer something like that!"

Bakugou snorted.

"Am I wrong?"

Mal nodded her head.

"Yes! You're wrong. I don't have a quirk like that."

The "yet" went unsaid.

Bakugou growled in annoyance.

She wouldn't admit to it? In that case, there was no way that he was going to trust her.

Seeing the blonde's wary and unresponsive expression, Mal sighed.

"Look, it's complicated, alright? Even if I told you the truth you would never believe me. Let's just leave it at that."

Bakugou simply snorted again and glared at Mal with furious and cautious eyes. He had become secluded, more wary than angry now, and grew more distrustful by the second.

Seeing this, Mal sighed again.

What was she going to do about this?

 **Normal POV**

Jeez, where did that question come from?

Honestly, this little brat seriously had the audacity to accuse me of such a thing with such a rude tone even though he had left me waiting for over an hour, then chase me with the threat of murder for no good reason afterward?

Just how unreasonable was this guy?

Well, there was nothing I could do about it.

Getting angry in this situation would simply be counterproductive since Bakugou would simply face my rage with his own.

This was supposed to be a peaceful conversation, not a duel to the death.

Therefore, I tucked all of my anger into a small recess of my heart, resolved to earn the trust of the blonde boy before me.

I had not expected Bakugou to be so perceptive to recognize my true nature. I had greatly underestimated him.

At this point, he would probably see through any lie I could make, so I had to tell him the truth.

However, even if he was at the age where little kids were the most trusting, he still wasn't going to believe my bizarre story.

At best, he would get angry and think that I was lying to him.

At worst, he would be creeped out and think that I was insane.

No, there was absolutely no way I was going to tell Bakugou the full truth. That was that.

I quickly began to explain the parts of my story that didn't make me seem like some sort of delusional lunatic. Hopefully, Bakugou would be satisfied with that.

"Look, my situation is... unique…. Let's just leave it at that."

Bakugou snorted.

"Huh?! You expect me to be satisfied with a crappy explanation like that?!"

My eyebrow began to twitch as my hands were once again held up in a placating gesture.

"Now now. I told you already. If I were to explain the whole truth, you would never believe me. You'd think that I was a lunatic."

The blonde narrowed his eyes at me, not saying a word.

I mentally sighed.

" _Great. Just great! Now he's even more suspicious!"_

Rubbing my face tiredly, I asked,

"Look, is there anything I can do to make you trust me other than this? I promise that I don't mean any harm towards you and Izuku. I genuinely want to be friends with you two."

I mustered up all of my honesty and put it into those words. If this wouldn't have an effect on Bakugou, then I might have had to give up.

Closing my eyes, I prepared for the inevitable words which would put an end to our conversation.

I really didn't want to be enemies with Bakugou, but there was nothing I could do if he was wary of me. I knew that if he didn't trust me then we would never be able to become friends.

At this point, my reasons had changed. Instead of wanting to be friends with Bakugou to take advantage of him or for the thrill of it, I now found that I wanted to do so because I had grown fond of him.

Even with his antagonistical nature, explosive personality, and anger issues, I knew deep inside that Bakugou was a good person, and that he would become a great hero.

I didn't even need my knowledge from my old world to know this.

It was more of a gut feeling than anything really. I didn't have any actual proof for my theory, but somehow, I still believed in it with all my heart.

Bracing myself for the rejection, my whole body tensed.

However, Bakugou's response proved my preparations useless.

With a slightly annoyed expression, he spoke to me with a softened tone.

"Nevermind. I won't ask you about it anymore. Somehow, my gut is telling me to trust you."

My jaw dropped at this.

Was the person before me truly Bakugou? Or had some alien creature taken his place?

How could that person say something this reasonable? It was impossible! The Bakugou in the anime would have declared his hostility on the spot, maybe even threatening me or something.

However, this guy just accepted my "crappy explanation" just like that?

I quickly gained my composure after a few seconds. After all, I had found out the reason for his surprising level of trust.

The Bakugou before me at the moment was not the same Bakugou in the anime, who was a high school student.

The boy before me was similar to that person, but naturally had their own differences.

I kept forgetting that I was not talking to the high school version of Bakugou, but a four-year-old.

He would naturally be more trusting towards me than his older counterpart. Children were much more compassionate and naive than adults after all, even if that child was Bakugou.

Besides, he was always the type of person who trusted his gut feelings. I was really lucky it told him that I wasn't harmful.

Before I could reply to his statement, Bakugou continued to talk.

"This doesn't mean that I want to be friends or anything. It just means that I'm not suspicious of you anymore."

A relieved smile made its way onto my face, making the blonde scowl for some reason.

"What the hell are you smiling about?! You're not suspicious, but you're still weak! I don't make friends with weaklings!"

Of course. Bakugou's entire ideology revolved around the idea of strength.

He was past the point of making friends with weaklings like Deku.

The same applied to me. Even with my quirk, I was still weak at the moment, only slightly stronger than a quirkless person.

This would have to change.

It wasn't just for the sake of friendship anymore. It was for my dream, my family, and myself.

Nothing could be achieved without strength. That was true no matter what world I was in.

I was already on the path to getting stronger, and thanks to Bakugou, I had received another reason.

I couldn't help but grin thankfully at the blonde. Those words of his provided a great deal of motivation.

After all, I desperately wanted to be friends with him. What can I say? He was just the type of person I couldn't stay away from.

With the same grin on my face, I reached forward and gripped his hands….

 **Bakugou POV**

" _What the hell is this? Actually! What the hell is this?!"_

Bakugou found himself in a state of confusion as Mal suddenly grabbed his right hand and grasped it with both of her's.

To say that the blonde was shocked would be an understatement.

Why did his words have the opposite of their intended effect?

The things Bakugou said, while true, was meant to discourage the girl from befriending him and to imply that they weren't on the same level.

While Mal's determination was impressive, her actual strength was obviously unimpressive.

Bakugou could tell from the girl's body language that she wasn't very confident in her own power.

Back when she was defending Izuku, Mal was clearly nervous to a great extent, knowing that she wouldn't stand a chance against three people at the same time.

She might have been courageous in that situation, but courage was not the same as strength, only a means of achieving it.

Bakugou considered opening up to Mal when she became stronger, but only when she became stronger.

Mal seemed to have noticed this, acting accordingly.

Gripping Bakugou's hands tightly, she cheekily replied,

"Then I just need to get stronger don't I?"

Bakugou growled.

He knew that the girl indeed had potential, and would probably become very strong.

However, he was Bakugou, which meant that he had a reputation to maintain.

Ripping his hands from the girl's grasp, the blonde backed off.

"Huh?! The hell do you mean 'stronger'?! You're still just a weakling!"

At the blonde's words, Mal was simply amused, showing the emotion with a wry grin.

"I wouldn't be too sure about that."

She turned her head slightly, donning a playful smirk.

"I have one hell of a quirk after all."

Bakugou snorted.

"Well, what quirk is it?!"

The blonde wanted to know the power of one of his possible future opponents.

With the tone Mal spoke those words, he was suddenly cautious. After all, she was eerily confident in that power.

This information piqued Bakugou's interest.

The quirk probably wasn't as powerful as Bakugou's " **Explosion"** , but it was probably strong nonetheless.

Gulping nervously, the blonde awaited Mal's answer.

However, the girl's response only served to transform all his apprehension into anger.

"Kukuku. It wouldn't be exciting if I told you, would it? Just wait and see."

The playful tone she used to say these words further increased Bakugou's rage, making him tense up.

However, the blonde quickly controlled himself as he was too tired to fight after all his running.

He settled for a simple insult.

"Keh! Whatever, I don't care anymore! It's probably super weak anyways! It's yours after all!"

Mal simply shook her head at this and continued to speak.

"Well, how strong do I have to get for you to consider me a friend?"

Bakugou, impulsive as always, instantly said the first thing that came into his mind.

Standing up, he pointed to himself with his thumb and smirked arrogantly.

"Beat me in a fight and I'll consider you a friend. Do you understand how hopeless your situation is now?"

However, as Mal rose from the ground, the look in her eyes almost made Bakugou choke on his own saliva.

With a challenging smile on her face, the girl starred directly into his ruby eyes.

The amount of determination held in those violet orbs was enough to fill an entire ocean.

With a steely voice which did not hold the slightest hint of hesitation, she calmly announced,

"Alright. One day Bakugou. I'll beat you one day."

At this, Bakugou was surprised once again.

After all, his quirk made him one of the most powerful kids in his generation, not taking his physical strength into account.

This meant that any other kid would be greatly discouraged at the very notion of combating the aspiring hero, his existence equal to a great wall for them.

Now, this girl was saying that she was willing to climb that great wall. There was no doubt in Bakugou's mind that she would attempt to do so with all of her strength and determination, unwilling to give up until the very end.

" _Ah. So she's different from those people after all."_

Bakugou had been surrounded by people who praised his talent and power at every opportunity, people who he thought of as worthless weaklings who could only such up to their superiors.

However, even if those people were trash, their praise still fanned the flames of Bakugou's ego, eventually making him overly confident and even narcissistic. He was at an age where children were most easily influenced after all.

The same could be said with the groups of "friends" who swarmed upon him at every opportunity, taking advantage of his power for their own gain, or sook his attention just because of how powerful he was.

They could never be true friends to him as he was on a higher level than them.

Even the children who wanted his attention for pure and kind reasons could not become his friends, as they always saw him as a great person who they could never hope to become.

It was more like the relationship between a priest and his god than a relationship between friends.

Even Izuku, who had dared to stand up against him, idolized him for his power. In the end, even that quirkless boy was a sole-sucker.

However, Kurokami Mal was not like that. This was a fact that Bakugou could instantly confirm as he looked into her determined eyes at the moment.

There was no barrier between them like with the others.

She would not be discouraged by his power or personality.

The wall that separated Bakugou from his peers did not even apply to her.

Normally, Bakugou would have been furious at anyone who would dare claim that they would surpass him, seeing it as nothing more than mere, baseless arrogance.

However, Mal's conviction came from no such thing.

In those violet orbs of hers, Bakugou saw great knowledge, knowledge that she should not have possessed, but knowledge nonetheless.

There was no denying it. From how Mal acted, she definitely knew more about him than she let on, which also included information of his powers.

She probably knew exactly how strong he was. This fact troubled Bakugou greatly.

The blonde's intuition told him this, and he decided to trust it.

The point was that Mal knew how powerful and talented he was, but was still able to accept his challenge with the slightest bit of hesitation,

Seeing this, a new unknown feeling welled up in Bakugou.

The boy's heart suddenly felt so warm, so full.

No, Bakugou did not know what this feeling was. What he knew, however, was that he found the feeling strangely pleasant. For this reason, he didn't want the feeling to ever stop.

Bakugou did not know this at the time, but that feeling was the sign that his loneliness was being stripped away.

Yes, the blonde was lonely. He was more lonely than he ever realized.

After all, a four-year-old's mind could not properly give a name to that deep, empty feeling in his heart.

While many people had been attracted to Bakugou thanks to his strange charisma and power, they were not people who could understand him or be understood by him.

They were not friends, only followers, maybe even servants.

At the end of the day, the talented Bakugou could not find an equal anywhere he looked.

He could not find a true friend, someone who considered him an equal, being considered by him as an equal in return.

Even Izuku was distanced from him simply by the power gap between them.

After the boy's quirk was revealed, he was never able to feel true companionship, true friendship.

Bakugou's friends always said things like,

"Oh wow Kacchan! You're amazing!"

Or

"Wow! What a wonderful quirk! You'll be a great hero someday!"

However, the girl in front of him, grinning cheerfully, simply gave him a thumbs up.

"Alright! Just you watch! I'll beat you someday! When I do, become my friend ok?!"

At that smiling face full of kindness and determination, Bakugou's eyes shone with a light that it had never shone with before, a warm, comforting feeling flowing through his body.

Yes, he had realized that this girl was unique, that he would never meet someone like this ever again.

Even if she was actually an adult, she was still a kid just like him. It didn't make sense, but it seemed to be the truth.

After all, there was no one who could have those eyes and still be an untrustworthy adult.

Lightly smirking towards Mal, Bakugou accepted her challenge.

"Heh, that's never going to happen. I won't let you beat me."

Mal's expression suddenly became shocked as she did not expect a tone like the one Bakugou just used.

It was merry, almost friendly even. The girl did not think that she could get Bakugou to use that tone for a long time. The fact that he did must have meant that he was warming up towards her.

This unexpected but welcome event made Mal smile again, this time with genuine joy.

Jabbing at Bakugou playfully, she began to laugh gently.

"Sure sure, just be my friend when I beat you ok?"

Bakugou grinned without any malice.

"Keh, just make sure that you become someone who's worthy of fighting me. I'd hate to waste my time."

"It's a promise then. I won't disappoint you Baa-kun."

Bakugou grew angry at that nickname, seeing it as unworthy of describing him. Who could blame him?

"Damit! Don't call me that!"

Cheekily grinning, Mal put her hands behind her back.

"Whatever you say, Baa-kun."

The blonde scowled for a second before letting the anger dissipate.

Being angry at this eccentric girl was simply going to be counterproductive. He would just be wasting his time.

Therefore, he simply replied to her words from before, completely ignoring the new change of topic.

"Keh, you'd better not."

Mal nodded in confirmation.

Seeing this, Bakugou nodded back.

The two acquaintances simply stared at each other after that, each scanning the other's faces as if intent on memorizing every small detail on them.

Bakugou was sure that he would never forget this girl no matter what happened.

Sure, she wasn't his friend yet and they barely knew anything about each other, but she was still the most interesting person he had ever met.

Kurokami Mal was a living paradox, an eccentric combination that by all means, should not have existed.

She was weak, but strong, old, but childish, ambitious, but satisfied.

Truly, how was it possible for a person like this to exist?

These thoughts continued until the moment Mal let out an uncharacteristic yelp.

Bakugou flinched and jumped back in surprise before demanding angrily,

"The hell was that for?!"

Mal seemed to barely register his words as she fidgeted nervously.

"Oh no oh no oh no oh no! I lost track of time! Mom and Dad are going to be so worried!"

The sun had completely set at this point, the lustrous moonlight covering the landscape like a white rug.

Facing the direction of the moon, Mal attempted to sprint away, trying to get home as soon as possible.

However, before, Bakugou stepped forward and grabbed her left arm as she was doing so, making her turn around to look at him in wonder.

There was just one more thing he needed to make sure of. He didn't want to ask this, but he had to.

With an aggregated voice, he spoke.

"Wait! Are you gonna protect Deku again the next time someone goes after him?!"

Mal stopped in her tracks, staring at Bakugou, without the grin on her face this time.

In a serious and emotionless voice, she asked,

"Are you going to go after him again?"

Bakugou snorted.

"I'm not gonna specifically look for him. He's not worth the effort."

He then grinned with a generous amount of malice.

"But if he pisses me off, then it's fair game."

In that same tone, Mal spoke again.

"Please don't. I don't want to see the people I know fight each other. If you insist on doing so, then I will be forced to intervene."

There were none of the cheerful or childish vibes in her voice now.

She was completely serious, almost like a machine.

Bakugou simply snorted again, trying to hide the part of him that was greatly disturbed by this side of Mal. It was seriously creepy. He actually couldn't tell what she was thinking at all because of that unchanging face of hers'.

"What the hell do you see in that nerd anyway?"

Bakugou's relief almost forced him to sigh as Mal's sudden emotionless front collapsed, revealing the real girl underneath.

With a small smile on her face, Mal stared into Bakugou's eyes.

"I see a hero Baa-kun. I see someone who could surpass All Might himself. That goes for you too. Both of you will make great heroes."

The honest praise shocked Bakugou. Those words weren't like the ones spouted by his so-called "friends", empty words without meaning, coming from someone with nothing but expectations for him.

These words were not expectant, but believing. Kurokami Mal did not expect Bakugou to become a great hero, she believed that he could.

There was a great difference between expectation and faith.

Expectations were weights you put on someone, even if they were strangers. Failure of expectations would bring disappointment, even punishment. It was something that Bakugou had experienced many times already, becoming something he despised dearly.

However, faith was different. It meant that you would entrust someone with your hopes and dreams, believing that they could be able to do something.

The two terms might have sounded the same, but they were completely different.

Any parent could expect their child to get an A on their exam, becoming angry if they didn't.

However, few could truly believe so, not even registering the possibility of the student getting anything less than perfect. It was an unquestionable devotion.

Few people had truly put their faith onto Bakugou, only the ones close to him doing so. Not even those expectant adults who showered the boy with praise had truly given him any amount of faith.

This was why he was so surprised when Mal declared her faith for him. He might try to deny it many times in the future, but those words truly touched his heart.

However, the fact that Mal gave Izuku the same amount of belief angered and confused Bakugou.

Honestly, what could she see in him?

After all, the green-haired-boy was physically weak and quirkless, possessing absolutely no chance of becoming a hero.

Bakugou asked silently,

"How? How can you be so sure, for both of us?"

Mal grinned happily, her appearance greatly enhanced by the argent Moon shining behind her, covering her in a blanket of silver light.

"That's easy. It's because that you're Baa-kun and Mii-chan is Mii-chan. What else needs to be said?"

Those words awoke something inside the blonde that had lied dormant for his whole life. The way they were spoken, with so much confidence, was enough to reduce him to an emotional state, something that even his parents were unable to do.

A single tear dropped from Bakugou's right eye, an extremely unusual reaction for one such as him.

He did not know what evidence Mal had to base her beliefs on, and he didn't care much about it at that moment.

Bakugou was too stunned to do that.

Seeing the unresponsive state the blonde was in, Mal continued to speak.

"Even if I've only known you two for a short time, I can already tell that you guys are destined for greatness. I can't really explain how, but it just seems obvious to me. Is that weird?"

Bakugou simply continued to stare at the girl, as if unable to believe her words at the moment, simply staring at her in shock.

Mal was simply too beautiful in that moment, her trademark compassionate smile enhanced by the lustrous cowl of moonlight around her, the white orb illuminating her body from behind.

To any other person, the image would have been adorable, as Mal was surprisingly beautiful for a regular Japanese citizen. However, the girl's image at that moment would be forever imprinted in Bakugou's brain, as it held a great deal of emotional weight for him.

That strange sensation of comforting warmth spread across his body again, sending Bakugou into a miniature state of bliss.

" _Who… Just who is she? Is she using some quirk to make me feel this way? No, this isn't a quirk. This… This is just Kurokami Mal."_

The blonde smiled wryly at the only person who could make him act so out of character, the only person he considered a real "friend", even if he won't admit it.

He hadn't been planning to accept Mal during this meeting, but it would seem that he had.

She would still have to beat him for Bakugou to publically consider her a "friend", so there wasn't much to worry about reputation-wise.

There wasn't much of a problem, was there?

Thinking this, Bakugou grinned giddily and snapped out of his state of immobilization.

He had simply accepted that Mal was someone who could make him act in ways he would not regularly act in, recognizing that truth as if it was a law of nature.

The girl was simply not a regular person, and he was fine with that.

Bakugou smiled inwardly as Mal remembered that she needed to head home as soon as possible, sprinting in the other direction without another word.

Turning around on his heels, the blonde began to walk home, a new feeling born inside of him.

 **Narrator POV**

After this day, Katsuki Bakugou would never be the same, having been changed for the better. The blonde would stop bullying Izuku, focusing more of his time improving than to crush those weaker than him.

These changes pleased everyone around Bakugou, making him become a much more approachable character, furthermore increasing his already great charisma.

If this had continued, then Bakugou would have developed a healthy rivalry with Izuku, both friends improving each other, becoming the greatest heroes the world had ever seen.

Mal would become an influential politician, changing this world for the better, causing the world to enter the space age centuries earlier than its supposed beginning. She would live out the rest of her life with plenty of children, happily dying of old age, her legacy greater than the world itself.

 _Yeah right._

 _As if the reality would be that kind._

 _ **Everything would change that faithful day.**_

 _ **The day where everything went to hell.**_

 **Alright! Here's an extra long chapter**

 **I know this escalated quickly, but I'm just going to write it off as Bakugou being so gullible at his age and Mal accidentally saying just the right things for the situation**

 **Hopefully, I didn't mess up the logic to the point to where I have to rewrite the chapter…**


	7. Shouto's Situation

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I still couldn't believe that I actually managed to somehow pacify Bakugou of all people.

Did I have some strange charisma that even I didn't know of?

I had expected it to take months to go as far as I had with him, but it only took one night. This was truly baffling.

I was either a natural diplomat or just unnaturally lucky.

Anyways, my birthday celebration last night was simply amazing. Sure, I was only with my parents, but they made it really merry even if there were only three people. Well, that just meant that I got more cake.

It turns out that my mother was worried sick for my late arrival, and had almost gone out to look for me. My father was the same. In fact, when I arrived home, I caught both of them fully dressed, walking out of the front door with distraught looks on their faces.

I really had the best parents.

After I explained everything, they scolded me slightly, but I could tell that they were both glad that I was able to make a new friend. I tried my best to only describe the positive aspects of Bakugou, so they wouldn't think that he was some sort of miniature psychopath.

Now it was morning, which meant that I had to go to school. That same boring place where they taught knowledge that I already learned over a decade ago.

Yes, I knew that I'm supposed to be four, but that didn't make the workload from school any less pointless.

Those so-called "advanced" courses they put me in were the same exact thing as the regular ones!

I was a surprisingly decent student in my past life, but I had never actually been any sort of genius.

Even so, the assignments the school gave me were seriously humiliating.

Oh well, who was I to complain if the curriculum was too easy? It probably wouldn't be like this once I got into college.

I mean, even if I didn't like this, could I actually do something about it?

The answer to that was obviously no. Even if I could change something, I wouldn't, simply because the school was such a good excuse to socialize with my friends. Todoroki didn't go to the same place as me, but I would meet with him at the park every day. Therefore, there was nothing to worry about.

Smiling cheerfully, I stepped out of my front door, dressed in my school uniform, consisting of formal attire, a standard-issue skirt with a shirt with a tie.

It wouldn't be long before I met up with Izuku, who greeted me with a simple "hi".

I waved back to him as we began to walk to school together.

We didn't really do anything on the way to school except for talk, which was just fine with me. I didn't really feel like playing or anything. If we did, then there was a possibility that we could be late, a possibility that Izuku was aware of.

When we reached school, we were greeted by the sight of Katsuki Bakugou, standing at the entrance, as if expecting us.

Performing the action which came to mind instantly after I registered the presence of someone I considered a friend, my right hand instantly went up into the air, waving at the boy unconsciously.

I did not mean to do this, but I certainly did not regret it. I followed up after the actions of my body.

With a voice that was almost musical, I cheerfully greeted the blonde with a grin.

"Hey! Baa-kun!"

I had to suppress a chuckle at the controlled scowl on his face.

That expression had just made my day.

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Izuku still held a great deal of gratitude in his heart for what his friend told him that day, the day he was almost harmed by the person who he considered to be his closest friend.

Mal had truly saved him that day, not from the bullies or Bakugou, but from his own self-deprecating thoughts.

Izuku speculated that if Mal had not said what she did, then he would have quite possibly given up on his dream and resigned himself to live as a normal quirkless person, shamed and disgraced.

He would have willingly fallen into that pit of darkness, never again returning into the light.

That was exactly what he thought would happen without Mal's intervention.

To Izuku, the girl could be considered an angel who brought him back into the light, someone who truly cared for him even if he did nothing to deserve it.

Izuku had also been despondent over the loss of his other friend, as Bakugou had clearly declared hostilities towards him.

The boy thought it unjust that the friend who knew him for the longest time would persecute him for being quirkless, but that was just how the world was. There was no use complaining about it.

Izuku did not like losing one of the few people he could call a friend, but in Bakugou's case, it simply couldn't be helped.

But, there was Mal, cheerfully greeting that same person who had almost hurt both of them that day.

Izuku could not be more surprised.

" _Mal-chan…"_

Was she really that kind, that forgiving, to simply forget an incident like that?

It would be just like Mal. She was always so kind and forgiving, traits which Izuku liked the most about his friend.

Once, another kid in their class had carved the words, "quirkless garbage" onto Izuku's desk.

Seeing this, Izuku could feel tears welling up in his eyes and began to cry. He wasn't used to being treated like a quirkless person yet, which meant that he was still new to the emotional harm that others would inflict onto him.

Seeing Izuku's crying form, the boy who had carved the words onto the desk stood up and shamed him in front of everyone in the class.

Pointing towards Izuku, the boy laughed.

"What?! It's true! He's quirkless isn't he?! We're all better than him!"

Izuku's mind began to take more and more damage as he cursed his unfortunate situation.

Just what had he done to deserve this? Why was he the one who had to deal with this situation?

Mal had intervened then, addressing that same boy.

Her face was serious and determined, her smile completely nonexistent.

"Please stop. You're hurting Mii-chan's feelings."

The boy had simply laughed again.

"Who cares if his feelings are hurt?! He's quirkless!."

Mal's expression did not change.

"What if someone was treating you the way you're treating Mii-chan right now? How would you feel?"

The boy snorted.

"Haa?! But I'm not quirkless!"

He didn't stop there.

"Ha! I just remembered! You have a super late-blooming quirk! You're even more useless than he is!"

The boy began to laugh madly.

After that, Mal had simply shaken her head and went to comfort Izuku.

It turns out that the same boy was the victim of bullying, as his quirk, **[Flare]** only allowed him to make his body become brighter. Many other kids thought that this quirk was useless, quickly associating the concept with him.

Mal had found out about this and comforted the kid soon after, almost as if he had never said those words to her and Izuku.

This was why Mal was so amazing. She could forgive so easily, almost like it was in her very nature.

However, she was taking it too far this time.

Just what was the girl thinking, being so casual towards the same person who had almost harmed both her and Izuku?

She might have been forgiving, but this course of action was far too dangerous.

Izuku quickly reached forward to grab Mal's arm, determined to run away if Bakugou became hostile, which he was sure would happen.

The nickname Mal called him by was definitely enough of a reason for him to become dangerous.

However, the blonde's reply almost made Izuku choke on his own saliva.

With an annoyed voice, Bakugou simply huffed before turning around, beginning to walk away.

Mal's grin seemed to become even wider when she saw this, although it could have just been an illusion.

With a shaking voice full of disbelief, Izuku asked Mal,

"M-Mal-c-chan, w-what was that?"

The girl cheerfully replied,

"He seems to have taken a liking to me after our little talk."

Izuku's world exploded at those words as his legs became queasy.

Quickly putting two and two together, he identified the meaning behind the sentence.

"Y-you m-mean…"

Mal nodded.

"Yeah. I talked to him yesterday. He promised to be my friend if I could beat him in a fight in the future."

Izuku's heart almost skipped a beat at this.

Just how was it possible that Bakugou would agree to those terms? Was Mal some kind of miracle worker?

"Oh, and he won't be attacking you anymore. I'm sure of it."

How… just how was this possible?

That ferocious beast known as Bakugou had nearly been tamed in one night by this girl.

Not even Izuku, the blonde's childhood friend, could get through to him, but this stranger could?

" _Mal-chan is just amazing."_

Those were Izuku's thoughts.

Saving him from a rampaging tiger, forgiving people like it was second nature, and getting on good terms with Bakugou so soon. Mal was clearly someone who was abnormal.

There was no need to question her anymore. Mal was Mal. That was all there was to it. She was simply a miracle worker and Izuku knew it.

The boy could almost feel in his heart the sudden increase of faith for his friend. There would be no shortage of surprises from the girl known as Kurokami Mal. This was for certain.

As the girl smiled at Izuku, beckoning him to come to class, he could only nod and walk towards his classroom, resolved to ask Mal in detail what happened at a later date.

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The rest of the day would go by peacefully, with Izuku confronting Mal when they walked home. She told him everything that had happened between her and Bakugou, leaving Izuku in an even greater state of shock than in the morning.

The boy could only accept this to be part of Mal's eccentricities, responding to the explanation with a tired sigh.

The days continued to pass like this, Mal going to school in morning, socializing with Izuku, sometimes with Bakugou, meeting Shouto afterward, and coming home.

It wouldn't be long before the days turned into weeks, and the weeks turned into months.

Eventually, it got to the point where something interesting happened with Shouto.

Something very interesting indeed.

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I was currently sitting with Shouto in the same spot where we chose to meet every day at four o'clock, the place we had first met with each other that day.

Our conversations would usually be about our interests, asking each other questions like "What do you want to be when you grow up? Or "What kind of hero will you be?" We would ask each other things like that.

I had never once asked Shouto about his family, even though he asked me several times. This was because I knew exactly what was going on inside of it, choosing to give him subtle hints to better his horrible life.

Unfortunately, other than that, there was absolutely nothing I could do. It wasn't as if I could rescue their whole family from Endeavor or something like that.

In the first place, would they even want to be rescued?

As for doing something about Endeavor, that was definitely a lost cause. In the manga, he was insanely determined in just about everything he did. Trying to dissuade him from anything he was passionate about was the same thing as trying to teach a rock how to play the violin. It was completely useless.

Unfortunately, Endeavor was indeed passionate about molding Shouto to become a hero greater than All Might. I didn't even think Endeavor noticed that his "training" was more akin to child abuse than anything.

I was seriously pissed off at that guy. Just where did he get the right to control Shouto's entire life and abuse him?

Oh, how I wanted to tell Shouto to just run away from home or to finally stand up to his father.

Alas, those words would be not only useless, but severely counterproductive.

Shouto had not told me anything about his familial circumstances, showing him that I knew about what was happening to him would cause a lot of suspicions. Not even four-year-olds were open-minded enough to believe that someone was reincarnated from a different world where your world was nothing but a work of fiction.

He would definitely think that I was lying or that I had gone insane.

Even if he believed me and followed my advice, it would have brought him nothing but trouble.

If Shouto decided to run away from home, then Endeavor would simply track him down and capture him, possibly punishing him harshly.

If he tried to stand up to his father, then his words would go unheard at best. If he wasn't lucky, then Endeavor would become angry and possibly harm him in some way.

As much as it pained me, the best thing I could do in this situation was to be patient and provide Shouto with emotional support.

However, I couldn't do much of that until the kid actually opened up to me. After all, I couldn't talk about his family at all.

If Shouto just told me about his familial situation then I would be able to talk to him about it. It would probably be good for him to have someone who he knows understanding his situation. I might be over-crediting myself, but there was probably a chance his whole life would change if he just told me.

However, there was nothing I could do in this situation, as he didn't trust me enough to open up to me yet.

I would just have to play the waiting game until he finally told me about it, slightly provoking him to do so.

Anything else would either be useless and harmful to my objective.

With this in mind, I chatted about the usual things with Shouto, thinking that this would just be a regular day.

I had never been so glad to be wrong.

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Kurokami Mal had become the person Shouto trusted more than anyone in the short half-year they had met. This fact was unknown to him of course.

However, even so, Shouto was afraid to tell her his secret. He was afraid to tell her that he was that man's son.

He knew that she would not care, that she would simply see him as Shouto, as she always did, not the son of the second greatest hero.

However, there was a part of his mind that doubted this knowledge.

" _What if she sees me differently?"_

This thought continued to linger in Shouto's mind, a small flame that refused to be put out.

Kurokami Mal was definitely not that type of person. Shouto was almost certain that he had nothing to be afraid of.

Yet… He was still nervous.

Even if the chances were near nonexistent, they were still there, weren't they?

Therefore, he started off the conversation with his friend with a simple

"H-hi Mal."

At this, the girl smiled charmingly, lightly tilting her head to the side.

She answered in that cheerful silky smooth voice,

"Hi Tou-kun"

This was her nickname for him, the shortened version of the name "Shouto", the only part of the name the boy gave her.

Seeing the contemplative expression on Shuto's face, Mal's brows furrowed in concern as she addressed her friend.

"Is there something wrong?"

The boy looked at her with a surprised expression, not expecting that question at all.

"N-no. Why would you think there's something wrong."

The girl was strangely devoid of her usual cheerfulness as she eyed Shouto seriously.

"It looked like you were concerned about something earlier. Are you thinking about something?"

Shouto was suddenly reminded of how attentive Mal could be sometimes. She was able to tell that he was deep in thought with a glance alone.

It was hard to hide something from her, not that he wanted to.

Shouto quickly replied to Mal's concerned question, scratching the back of his head.

"No, there's nothing wrong. I was just thinking about something, that's all."

The girl sighed in relief, a reaction thought by Shouto to be strange in this situation.

However, her next words made a trail of sweat drip down his back.

"Mind telling me what you were concerned about?"

"I-it was nothing… really!"

Mal shrugged.

"Oh well. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I'm not going to force you."

Shouto shrugged in relief.

He wasn't about to tell her just yet. He still wasn't mentally prepared.

Mal changed the subject, discussing something else.

It went on like this for a while, the unfolding of a meaningless conversation, the joy of two friends who were thankful to be able to speak to each other.

This almost blissful moment continued until Mal playfully flicked Shouto on the shoulder, an almost loving gesture.

It was meant to be something of a show of affection, not intended to cause any pain.

However, the spot where the flick had targeted had not been convenient at all.

It was at a spot where Shouto's father had struck him in the morning during training, a great bruise hidden under the fabric of his shirt.

Mal's flick targeted that exact location, making Shouto wince in surprise and pain.

Realizing what he did, the boy quickly returned his expression to the way it was before.

However, it was too late as Mal had already noticed his reaction, and began to look at his face with realization and concern.

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" _Shoot, I think I flicked him in somewhere with a bruise."_

I knew for a damned fact the wound was caused by Endeavor, no questions asked.

I could feel the scorching heat of my anger burning through my veins. Quickly pushing aside those feelings. I silently fumed.

I felt terrible about what I was going to do next, but it was for Shouto's own good.

This was a wonderful opportunity to get the boy to open up to me.

I would just have to ask about that bruise and insist on having my questions answered. After I pushed a certain distance, I would give up for the day, continuing to subtly ask him the next day. I didn't want to make him hate me, which was a possibility if I pushed too far. Even if I was going to be aggressive, I needed to take things slow.

Therefore, I asked,

"Where did you get that injury?"

Shouto looked away once he realized that I discovered his wound, muttering quietly,

"Someone ran into me earlier. My shoulder got bumped really badly."

I simply narrowed my eyes at this.

Yep, this was worse than I thought.

My interrogation was about to start.

Right now.

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Shouto could feel the sweat pouring from his back.

Mal had noticed one of his bruises!

Not only that, but she was also asking about it.

Lying to Mal was one of the hardest things Shouto ever did. It hurt him more than Endeavor's abuse ever could.

However, it had to be done. Shouto did not want Mal to tangle herself in his family's problems, something she would surely do if she knew the truth.

If she knew that he was being abused, then she would try to do everything in her power to stop it. After all, they were friends.

This was why Shouto had to keep her out of his own issues. She would get into trouble for his sake if he didn't

He had uttered such a mediocre lie, donning an expression that was practically the brand of a lier on his face.

There was no way in hell Mal would ever fall for it. She was way too perceptive for that. However, doing anything more was near impossible for him, as lying to his friend brought him a great deal of guilt already.

At that obvious lie of his, Mal had simply narrowed her eyes and asked him in a serious voice,

"Please don't lie to me Tou-kun. Where did you get that wound?"

Gritting his teeth, the boy channeled more willpower into himself, wanting nothing more than to be done with this.

"It's nothing Mal!"

The girl's eyes widened at this before she suddenly reacted with an outburst.

"It's not nothing! You're hiding something from me and I want to know why?!"

"It's really nothing! Can we just stop talking about this!?"

"No! I don't want to be in the dark when something is hurting you!"

Shouto's heart was practically begging him to tell the girl before him everything, to just come clean of it all. However, the practical side of himself quickly rejected that notion. There was nothing good that could come from his confession. Some words were best left unsaid.

The boy's body physically hurt just thinking about what he was about to say, but it had to be done. Even if he hurt her with those words, it was still better than the alternative.

"Just mind your own business! This isn't your problem!"

Those words were true to their purpose, to the despair of both Shouto and Mal.

The girl flinched backward and simply looked at him strangely, her mouth moving, unable to form any words.

Shouto wasn't dense enough to not notice the hurt in her dark amethyst eyes.

The boy wanted nothing more at that moment to apologize to his friend and tell her that he didn't mean it. However, that would be too counterproductive to his cause, even if it was despicable.

Thus began an agonizing silence that would last for several minutes, both sides waiting for the other to respond. It was as if time itself was frozen, every minute lasting an hour to both of them.

 **Normal POV**

What the hell Shouto? Actually! You don't just say that to a friend! Especially not one who was trying to help you!

That outburst actually managed to catch me off guard.

Those words stung. They stung a lot. Much more than I would think they would.

I guess my emotional endurance was just that pathetic huh?

Oh well, that wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

Still though, it actually felt as if someone was stabbing into my heart with a needle.

The fact that the boy before me could hurt me to this degree was horrifying but strangely satisfying. It meant that I was developing feelings for him. (non-romantic) I guess that sense of satisfaction was just my heart congratulating me that I got a new friend.

Anyways, I was thinking of what to say after that.

My body didn't seem able to handle the shock from those words, and had fallen into a state of suspension, my mouth becoming completely unable to formulate words.

I could see the regret in Shouto's eyes. He obviously didn't want to say that to me, only wanting to protect me from his secrets.

I smiled inwardly.

" _What a nice guy."_

That was all I needed. Beyond any and all doubts, Todoroki Shouto was friend material.

Smiling inwardly, I felt my body recover from his stinging words, flapping my lips in a desperate attempt to reason with him.

However, before a word could come out from my mouth, the kid practically jumped off his seat and sprinted for the exit, quickly running down the stone road.

I was stunned again, not expecting this course of action from Shouto.

However, I quickly cursed and began to sprint after him, praying that my increased leg strength would let me catch up to him.

A second later, I was hot on his trail, quickly reducing the distance between us.

I could practically feel the determination flowing through my body as I glared at my friend's back.

" _There's no way in hell I'm going to let you get away from me today."_

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Shouto's legs felt like they were on fire, lungs quickly processing air in a hurried rate. However, he could barely notice his exhaustion once he noticed the form of Mal chasing him.

He didn't think about how that girl, whose body looked so slim, could match his in speed. Nor did he think about how it was possible that her eyes turned red once she stepped on an ant. He definitely didn't care that his head was turned more than a hundred degrees to look at the girl behind him while he was sprinting full speed.

No, Shouto wasn't focused on any of that.

His attention was completely captured by those eyes of hers. Those beautiful amethyst orbs which seemed to simply radiate determination. A determination that he realized was directed at him, or rather, getting him to talk about his problems.

The combination of graduate and apprehension Shouto had towards Mal was foreign to him, creating a feeling he had never experienced before.

Sprinting with renewed vigor, the boy prayed to whatever god that was out there to let him outrun Mal. He knew for sure that he couldn't lie anymore, not to the only person he saw as a friend. She was the first person outside his family who cared so much about him, the only person he wanted nothing more than the best for.

The impact Kurokami Mal had upon Shouto's life these past six months could not even be described. She provided both encouragement and motivation to him to become stronger, not for his father's goals, but for his own dreams.

He found his father's training regime much more durable after a conversation with Mal.

Some of her hints were also surprisingly specialized for surviving his father's training, something he found strange.

Mal was the one person Shouto could not hurt no matter what. She was practically family to him at this point, even if she didn't realize it.

Therefore, Shouto was trying his best to protect Mal from his problems, something she probably noticed already.

Soon, the red and white-haired boy found his prayers to be completely useless as Mal quickly gained on him, grabbing his arm to stop him from running.

"Wait! *pant* *pant* Just calm down and talk to me! Please! *pant* I want to help you!"

The boy's face twisted itself into a pained expression of determination. He had made up his mind.

Seeing the concerned and caring look on his friend's face, there was no way he would ever drag someone like that into his problems.

Shouto decided in that instant.

He would cut ties with Mal.

There would be no regret. He would rather be lonely than to hurt Mal. If he simply ended their friendship here, then Mal would just forget him in a couple of years. After all, someone with her personality would never be without friends. Losing her would be better than risking her in a conflict with his father.

Therefore, again mustering up the leftover scraps of his determination, Shouto shouted to Mal,

"We're not friends anymore Mal! I hate you!"

Had these words came with any other expression on Shouto's face, Mal would definitely have been injured emotionally.

However, the tears flowing down the boy's face took away whatever effect his words would have had.

Mal chuckled, still vice-gripping Shouto's arm.

"That's a funny joke, Tou-kun. You should be a comedian."

Shouto blinked, surprised at his friend's reaction.

"Huh?"

Mal pulled the boy closer, face becoming serious.

"You are definitely trying to protect me from something. Is it dangerous?"

Shouto shook his head, panicking.

" _No, no, no, no!"_

"No, it's not that! Leave me alone!"

Mal grabbed his other arm, the flailing boy's other arm and turning him around.

They locked eyes, worried amethyst staring into brown and blue.

She begged the boy, as if her sanity depended on his answer.

"Please. I _need_ to know. As your friend, I have to help you get through this."

Shouto became angry at this.

Mal spoke as if she _knew_ what he was going through. She spoke as if she could actually understand his pain. His misery.

Well, she didn't. She didn't know about the fact that he always flinched whenever Endeavor walked through the door, afraid of a stern scolding or a surprise "training" session. She didn't know about the torturous, mind-breaking pain Endeavor put him through every day, only ending when his bones were about to snap from the strain. She didn't know the pain of having her mother go about everyday life like an inhuman zombie, experiencing nothing but misery.

She didn't know what she was talking about.

"Shut up!"

And, as Shouto's anger flared, the right side of his body did the same, the flame side of his quirk activating in an instant.

In an instant, Mal's entire field of vision was consumed by a brilliant flame, igniting the air like an explosion.

When Mal could finally see again, she smelled the burning of cloth and flesh in the air, looking to her left hand in wonder.

Then, the pain kicked in.

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I could feel the skin of my right arm burn and char, becoming slightly cooked.

Granted, Shouto's fire was not too hot, as he was quite weak at the moment. However, it still hurt like hell.

I hissed in pain, but still held on to my friend regardless. It didn't hurt nearly as much as I thought it would, and I'll be damned if I let something like this deteriorate my relationship with Shouto.

Surging forward with adrenaline running through my veins, I practically shouted in my friend's face.

He was pale now, tears running down his cheeks in twin streams.

"I'm sorry."

"I didn't mean to."

He muttered those things while shaking his head in denial, glancing over to my burned arm and almost throwing up. I could see the motions of his throat, the bile rising up it.

" _Please, Shouto. It's really not that bad. Only slightly worse than that time I burned my hand on a kitchen stove. Never cooked once after that."_

"JUST TELL ME ALREADY!"

Flakes of spittle flew at the boy's face, but I was beyond caring. Shouto needed to share this with me, whether he liked it or not. I may have known everything already, but I wanted him to tell me himself, as a friend.

The boy began to shake, crying even more now. I realized that I unconsciously tightened my grip on his arms. He probably thought I was angry or something.

Therefore, I calmed down.

"Look, just tell me what's going on. We're friends, aren't we?"

I said this with the most compassionate face I could make, desperate to make my friend open up to me.

Shouto was quaking even more now, hiccuping now from his cries. He was probably feeling _really_ guilty from burning my arms.

Well, joke's on him. I could easily regenerate that damage by killing a few bugs.

Still, he wasn't budging. I sensed that I needed to push him once more, but what could I-

Oh, that's right. The maternal route. That works, I guess. Nothing to lose at this point. Might as well do it. I thought I had established enough of a connection with Shouto to be able to do this.

Releasing his arms for an instant, I embraced the boy, cradling his head in my bosom.

We were the same height, but he was in so much shock that he was kneeling, so this worked to my advantage.

"Shh. Shh. Tou-kun. Please. I just want to know what's making you so sad. Please, I won't ever be able to relax again if I don't know…"

Something seemed to glimmer in the boy's heterochromatic eyes as he shook even more than before.

I felt something wet on my shirt. Probably tears.

Oh, it was sticky too. Snot then.

I really didn't care. If he opened up to me, then I could accept it even if he wet his pants right then and there.

I may not be a psychiatrist, but I knew that bottling up feelings of despair was never good. Therefore, I would make Shouto share his experiences with me even if it killed me.

Was it pushy?

Yes.

Did I give a shit?

No.

And then, Todoroki Shouto seemed to crack, finally breaking down.

Releasing the boy from my embrace, I listened aptly as he told me his story…

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As Todoroki Shouto walked home after his argument with Mal, he felt refreshed for the first time in years. No, the first time in his life.

While Shouto's mother had been instrumental in the upkeep of his sanity, she was a constant. She was the one who had encouraged him to be a hero, the one who comforted him when he was feeling down.

Because of Endeavor's rigid separation of Shouto from his classmates, the boy felt as if his mother was the only person he had who truly understood him.

However, now he had a new person he could entrust his secrets to.

Mal had proven to be a wonderful friend, and listened to his story with rapt attention. She did not react the way he expected her to, simply embracing him when the tale was complete.

"You've been through a lot, huh?"

She had whispered that into his ear quietly then, allowing the boy to release all his frustrations and pain in the form of his tears.

The girl had walked back home with a soggy shirt, but she didn't seem annoyed at all. She just appeared to be incredibly bitter, not talking much for the rest of their time together.

However, when she left, the girl had said to him,

"Remember, Tou-kun. No matter what, that quirk is yours, not your father's. Use your fire proudly, without any reservation, alright?"

Those were about the same thing his mother said to him a while ago, back when Endeavor's training just started.

Now Mal had understood him, she had come to the same conclusion as his mother, proving her trustworthiness.

Therefore, Shouto had taken her words to heart, and trusted his new friend more than anyone, except for his mother, of course.

Smiling merrily, the boy skipped to the dorrs of his home, even if he knew that hell awaited him there.

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Soon, summer had come for me, the schoolyear passing by in a flash.

Challenging Bakugou every day, playing with Izuku, talking with Shouto. It all made for an interesting life.

Bakugou had grown to like me more and more during our daily spars, and I seemed to have gained some combat experience, even if just a little. I seemed to have a talent for such a thing.

Izuku was just Izuku, always wanting to be a hero. Even when he didn't have a quirk, the kid didn't give up, pushing forward with all of his might.

I supported him, of course, giving him pointers on his hero notes and weekly reminders to not give up. He wasn't just a manga character now. He was my friend, and I treasured him with my life.

Shouto… he was a little more complex. I let him talk with all of his issues with me, allowing him to release all of his pent up frustration and pain. After that, I gave some advice and help. We would talk about other things soon after. That was how I found out my friend idolized All Might almost as much as the other two.

Me? Not as much. There was just something about that guy that was _too_ good. It should have been comforting, but for some reason, it wasn't… I would have to think more about that.

However, on the first day of summer break, my parents woke me up early, before my alarm could even go off.

Before I could even ask what they were going to do, I saw the bags in their hands, containing a large amount of luggage. Luggage that was for a long trip, no doubt.

As I asked my das where we were going to go, he simply smiled and said,

"The Empire."

 **Sorry, I didn't want to keep writing this story without doing some research.**

 **For what I need research for…**

 **Well, you'll see later**

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I still couldn't believe that I actually managed to somehow pacify Bakugou of all people.

Did I have some strange charisma that even I didn't know of?

I had expected it to take months to go as far as I had with him, but it only took one night. This was truly baffling.

I was either a natural diplomat or just unnaturally lucky.

Anyways, my birthday celebration last night was simply amazing. Sure, I was only with my parents, but they made it really merry even if there were only three people. Well, that just meant that I got more cake.

It turns out that my mother was worried sick for my late arrival, and had almost gone out to look for me. My father was the same. In fact, when I arrived home, I caught both of them fully dressed, walking out of the front door with distraught looks on their faces.

I really had the best parents.

After I explained everything, they scolded me slightly, but I could tell that they were both glad that I was able to make a new friend. I tried my best to only describe the positive aspects of Bakugou, so they wouldn't think that he was some sort of miniature psychopath.

Now it was morning, which meant that I had to go to school. That same boring place where they taught knowledge that I already learned over a decade ago.

Yes, I knew that I'm supposed to be four, but that didn't make the workload from school any less pointless.

Those so-called "advanced" courses they put me in were the same exact thing as the regular ones!

I was a surprisingly decent student in my past life, but I had never actually been any sort of genius.

Even so, the assignments the school gave me were seriously humiliating.

Oh well, who was I to complain if the curriculum was too easy? It probably wouldn't be like this once I got into college.

I mean, even if I didn't like this, could I actually do something about it?

The answer to that was obviously no. Even if I could change something, I wouldn't, simply because the school was such a good excuse to socialize with my friends. Todoroki didn't go to the same place as me, but I would meet with him at the park every day. Therefore, there was nothing to worry about.

Smiling cheerfully, I stepped out of my front door, dressed in my school uniform, consisting of formal attire, a standard-issue skirt with a shirt with a tie.

It wouldn't be long before I met up with Izuku, who greeted me with a simple "hi".

I waved back to him as we began to walk to school together.

We didn't really do anything on the way to school except for talk, which was just fine with me. I didn't really feel like playing or anything. If we did, then there was a possibility that we could be late, a possibility that Izuku was aware of.

When we reached school, we were greeted by the sight of Katsuki Bakugou, standing at the entrance, as if expecting us.

Performing the action which came to mind instantly after I registered the presence of someone I considered a friend, my right hand instantly went up into the air, waving at the boy unconsciously.

I did not mean to do this, but I certainly did not regret it. I followed up after the actions of my body.

With a voice that was almost musical, I cheerfully greeted the blonde with a grin.

"Hey! Baa-kun!"

I had to suppress a chuckle at the controlled scowl on his face.

That expression had just made my day.

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Izuku still held a great deal of gratitude in his heart for what his friend told him that day, the day he was almost harmed by the person who he considered to be his closest friend.

Mal had truly saved him that day, not from the bullies or Bakugou, but from his own self-deprecating thoughts.

Izuku speculated that if Mal had not said what she did, then he would have quite possibly given up on his dream and resigned himself to live as a normal quirkless person, shamed and disgraced.

He would have willingly fallen into that pit of darkness, never again returning into the light.

That was exactly what he thought would happen without Mal's intervention.

To Izuku, the girl could be considered an angel who brought him back into the light, someone who truly cared for him even if he did nothing to deserve it.

Izuku had also been despondent over the loss of his other friend, as Bakugou had clearly declared hostilities towards him.

The boy thought it unjust that the friend who knew him for the longest time would persecute him for being quirkless, but that was just how the world was. There was no use complaining about it.

Izuku did not like losing one of the few people he could call a friend, but in Bakugou's case, it simply couldn't be helped.

But, there was Mal, cheerfully greeting that same person who had almost hurt both of them that day.

Izuku could not be more surprised.

" _Mal-chan…"_

Was she really that kind, that forgiving, to simply forget an incident like that?

It would be just like Mal. She was always so kind and forgiving, traits which Izuku liked the most about his friend.

Once, another kid in their class had carved the words, "quirkless garbage" onto Izuku's desk.

Seeing this, Izuku could feel tears welling up in his eyes and began to cry. He wasn't used to being treated like a quirkless person yet, which meant that he was still new to the emotional harm that others would inflict onto him.

Seeing Izuku's crying form, the boy who had carved the words onto the desk stood up and shamed him in front of everyone in the class.

Pointing towards Izuku, the boy laughed.

"What?! It's true! He's quirkless isn't he?! We're all better than him!"

Izuku's mind began to take more and more damage as he cursed his unfortunate situation.

Just what had he done to deserve this? Why was he the one who had to deal with this situation?

Mal had intervened then, addressing that same boy.

Her face was serious and determined, her smile completely nonexistent.

"Please stop. You're hurting Mii-chan's feelings."

The boy had simply laughed again.

"Who cares if his feelings are hurt?! He's quirkless!."

Mal's expression did not change.

"What if someone was treating you the way you're treating Mii-chan right now? How would you feel?"

The boy snorted.

"Haa?! But I'm not quirkless!"

He didn't stop there.

"Ha! I just remembered! You have a super late-blooming quirk! You're even more useless than he is!"

The boy began to laugh madly.

After that, Mal had simply shaken her head and went to comfort Izuku.

It turns out that the same boy was the victim of bullying, as his quirk, **[Flare]** only allowed him to make his body become brighter. Many other kids thought that this quirk was useless, quickly associating the concept with him.

Mal had found out about this and comforted the kid soon after, almost as if he had never said those words to her and Izuku.

This was why Mal was so amazing. She could forgive so easily, almost like it was in her very nature.

However, she was taking it too far this time.

Just what was the girl thinking, being so casual towards the same person who had almost harmed both her and Izuku?

She might have been forgiving, but this course of action was far too dangerous.

Izuku quickly reached forward to grab Mal's arm, determined to run away if Bakugou became hostile, which he was sure would happen.

The nickname Mal called him by was definitely enough of a reason for him to become dangerous.

However, the blonde's reply almost made Izuku choke on his own saliva.

With an annoyed voice, Bakugou simply huffed before turning around, beginning to walk away.

Mal's grin seemed to become even wider when she saw this, although it could have just been an illusion.

With a shaking voice full of disbelief, Izuku asked Mal,

"M-Mal-c-chan, w-what was that?"

The girl cheerfully replied,

"He seems to have taken a liking to me after our little talk."

Izuku's world exploded at those words as his legs became queasy.

Quickly putting two and two together, he identified the meaning behind the sentence.

"Y-you m-mean…"

Mal nodded.

"Yeah. I talked to him yesterday. He promised to be my friend if I could beat him in a fight in the future."

Izuku's heart almost skipped a beat at this.

Just how was it possible that Bakugou would agree to those terms? Was Mal some kind of miracle worker?

"Oh, and he won't be attacking you anymore. I'm sure of it."

How… just how was this possible?

That ferocious beast known as Bakugou had nearly been tamed in one night by this girl.

Not even Izuku, the blonde's childhood friend, could get through to him, but this stranger could?

" _Mal-chan is just amazing."_

Those were Izuku's thoughts.

Saving him from a rampaging tiger, forgiving people like it was second nature, and getting on good terms with Bakugou so soon. Mal was clearly someone who was abnormal.

There was no need to question her anymore. Mal was Mal. That was all there was to it. She was simply a miracle worker and Izuku knew it.

The boy could almost feel in his heart the sudden increase of faith for his friend. There would be no shortage of surprises from the girl known as Kurokami Mal. This was for certain.

As the girl smiled at Izuku, beckoning him to come to class, he could only nod and walk towards his classroom, resolved to ask Mal in detail what happened at a later date.

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The rest of the day would go by peacefully, with Izuku confronting Mal when they walked home. She told him everything that had happened between her and Bakugou, leaving Izuku in an even greater state of shock than in the morning.

The boy could only accept this to be part of Mal's eccentricities, responding to the explanation with a tired sigh.

The days continued to pass like this, Mal going to school in morning, socializing with Izuku, sometimes with Bakugou, meeting Shouto afterward, and coming home.

It wouldn't be long before the days turned into weeks, and the weeks turned into months.

Eventually, it got to the point where something interesting happened with Shouto.

Something very interesting indeed.

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I was currently sitting with Shouto in the same spot where we chose to meet every day at four o'clock, the place we had first met with each other that day.

Our conversations would usually be about our interests, asking each other questions like "What do you want to be when you grow up? Or "What kind of hero will you be?" We would ask each other things like that.

I had never once asked Shouto about his family, even though he asked me several times. This was because I knew exactly what was going on inside of it, choosing to give him subtle hints to better his horrible life.

Unfortunately, other than that, there was absolutely nothing I could do. It wasn't as if I could rescue their whole family from Endeavor or something like that.

In the first place, would they even want to be rescued?

As for doing something about Endeavor, that was definitely a lost cause. In the manga, he was insanely determined in just about everything he did. Trying to dissuade him from anything he was passionate about was the same thing as trying to teach a rock how to play the violin. It was completely useless.

Unfortunately, Endeavor was indeed passionate about molding Shouto to become a hero greater than All Might. I didn't even think Endeavor noticed that his "training" was more akin to child abuse than anything.

I was seriously pissed off at that guy. Just where did he get the right to control Shouto's entire life and abuse him?

Oh, how I wanted to tell Shouto to just run away from home or to finally stand up to his father.

Alas, those words would be not only useless, but severely counterproductive.

Shouto had not told me anything about his familial circumstances, showing him that I knew about what was happening to him would cause a lot of suspicions. Not even four-year-olds were open-minded enough to believe that someone was reincarnated from a different world where your world was nothing but a work of fiction.

He would definitely think that I was lying or that I had gone insane.

Even if he believed me and followed my advice, it would have brought him nothing but trouble.

If Shouto decided to run away from home, then Endeavor would simply track him down and capture him, possibly punishing him harshly.

If he tried to stand up to his father, then his words would go unheard at best. If he wasn't lucky, then Endeavor would become angry and possibly harm him in some way.

As much as it pained me, the best thing I could do in this situation was to be patient and provide Shouto with emotional support.

However, I couldn't do much of that until the kid actually opened up to me. After all, I couldn't talk about his family at all.

If Shouto just told me about his familial situation then I would be able to talk to him about it. It would probably be good for him to have someone who he knows understanding his situation. I might be over-crediting myself, but there was probably a chance his whole life would change if he just told me.

However, there was nothing I could do in this situation, as he didn't trust me enough to open up to me yet.

I would just have to play the waiting game until he finally told me about it, slightly provoking him to do so.

Anything else would either be useless and harmful to my objective.

With this in mind, I chatted about the usual things with Shouto, thinking that this would just be a regular day.

I had never been so glad to be wrong.

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Kurokami Mal had become the person Shouto trusted more than anyone in the short half-year they had met. This fact was unknown to him of course.

However, even so, Shouto was afraid to tell her his secret. He was afraid to tell her that he was that man's son.

He knew that she would not care, that she would simply see him as Shouto, as she always did, not the son of the second greatest hero.

However, there was a part of his mind that doubted this knowledge.

" _What if she sees me differently?"_

This thought continued to linger in Shouto's mind, a small flame that refused to be put out.

Kurokami Mal was definitely not that type of person. Shouto was almost certain that he had nothing to be afraid of.

Yet… He was still nervous.

Even if the chances were near nonexistent, they were still there, weren't they?

Therefore, he started off the conversation with his friend with a simple

"H-hi Mal."

At this, the girl smiled charmingly, lightly tilting her head to the side.

She answered in that cheerful silky smooth voice,

"Hi Tou-kun"

This was her nickname for him, the shortened version of the name "Shouto", the only part of the name the boy gave her.

Seeing the contemplative expression on Shuto's face, Mal's brows furrowed in concern as she addressed her friend.

"Is there something wrong?"

The boy looked at her with a surprised expression, not expecting that question at all.

"N-no. Why would you think there's something wrong."

The girl was strangely devoid of her usual cheerfulness as she eyed Shouto seriously.

"It looked like you were concerned about something earlier. Are you thinking about something?"

Shouto was suddenly reminded of how attentive Mal could be sometimes. She was able to tell that he was deep in thought with a glance alone.

It was hard to hide something from her, not that he wanted to.

Shouto quickly replied to Mal's concerned question, scratching the back of his head.

"No, there's nothing wrong. I was just thinking about something, that's all."

The girl sighed in relief, a reaction thought by Shouto to be strange in this situation.

However, her next words made a trail of sweat drip down his back.

"Mind telling me what you were concerned about?"

"I-it was nothing… really!"

Mal shrugged.

"Oh well. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I'm not going to force you."

Shouto shrugged in relief.

He wasn't about to tell her just yet. He still wasn't mentally prepared.

Mal changed the subject, discussing something else.

It went on like this for a while, the unfolding of a meaningless conversation, the joy of two friends who were thankful to be able to speak to each other.

This almost blissful moment continued until Mal playfully flicked Shouto on the shoulder, an almost loving gesture.

It was meant to be something of a show of affection, not intended to cause any pain.

However, the spot where the flick had targeted had not been convenient at all.

It was at a spot where Shouto's father had struck him in the morning during training, a great bruise hidden under the fabric of his shirt.

Mal's flick targeted that exact location, making Shouto wince in surprise and pain.

Realizing what he did, the boy quickly returned his expression to the way it was before.

However, it was too late as Mal had already noticed his reaction, and began to look at his face with realization and concern.

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" _Shoot, I think I flicked him in somewhere with a bruise."_

I knew for a damned fact the wound was caused by Endeavor, no questions asked.

I could feel the scorching heat of my anger burning through my veins. Quickly pushing aside those feelings. I silently fumed.

I felt terrible about what I was going to do next, but it was for Shouto's own good.

This was a wonderful opportunity to get the boy to open up to me.

I would just have to ask about that bruise and insist on having my questions answered. After I pushed a certain distance, I would give up for the day, continuing to subtly ask him the next day. I didn't want to make him hate me, which was a possibility if I pushed too far. Even if I was going to be aggressive, I needed to take things slow.

Therefore, I asked,

"Where did you get that injury?"

Shouto looked away once he realized that I discovered his wound, muttering quietly,

"Someone ran into me earlier. My shoulder got bumped really badly."

I simply narrowed my eyes at this.

Yep, this was worse than I thought.

My interrogation was about to start.

Right now.

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Shouto could feel the sweat pouring from his back.

Mal had noticed one of his bruises!

Not only that, but she was also asking about it.

Lying to Mal was one of the hardest things Shouto ever did. It hurt him more than Endeavor's abuse ever could.

However, it had to be done. Shouto did not want Mal to tangle herself in his family's problems, something she would surely do if she knew the truth.

If she knew that he was being abused, then she would try to do everything in her power to stop it. After all, they were friends.

This was why Shouto had to keep her out of his own issues. She would get into trouble for his sake if he didn't

He had uttered such a mediocre lie, donning an expression that was practically the brand of a lier on his face.

There was no way in hell Mal would ever fall for it. She was way too perceptive for that. However, doing anything more was near impossible for him, as lying to his friend brought him a great deal of guilt already.

At that obvious lie of his, Mal had simply narrowed her eyes and asked him in a serious voice,

"Please don't lie to me Tou-kun. Where did you get that wound?"

Gritting his teeth, the boy channeled more willpower into himself, wanting nothing more than to be done with this.

"It's nothing Mal!"

The girl's eyes widened at this before she suddenly reacted with an outburst.

"It's not nothing! You're hiding something from me and I want to know why?!"

"It's really nothing! Can we just stop talking about this!?"

"No! I don't want to be in the dark when something is hurting you!"

Shouto's heart was practically begging him to tell the girl before him everything, to just come clean of it all. However, the practical side of himself quickly rejected that notion. There was nothing good that could come from his confession. Some words were best left unsaid.

The boy's body physically hurt just thinking about what he was about to say, but it had to be done. Even if he hurt her with those words, it was still better than the alternative.

"Just mind your own business! This isn't your problem!"

Those words were true to their purpose, to the despair of both Shouto and Mal.

The girl flinched backward and simply looked at him strangely, her mouth moving, unable to form any words.

Shouto wasn't dense enough to not notice the hurt in her dark amethyst eyes.

The boy wanted nothing more at that moment to apologize to his friend and tell her that he didn't mean it. However, that would be too counterproductive to his cause, even if it was despicable.

Thus began an agonizing silence that would last for several minutes, both sides waiting for the other to respond. It was as if time itself was frozen, every minute lasting an hour to both of them.

 **Normal POV**

What the hell Shouto? Actually! You don't just say that to a friend! Especially not one who was trying to help you!

That outburst actually managed to catch me off guard.

Those words stung. They stung a lot. Much more than I would think they would.

I guess my emotional endurance was just that pathetic huh?

Oh well, that wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

Still though, it actually felt as if someone was stabbing into my heart with a needle.

The fact that the boy before me could hurt me to this degree was horrifying but strangely satisfying. It meant that I was developing feelings for him. (non-romantic) I guess that sense of satisfaction was just my heart congratulating me that I got a new friend.

Anyways, I was thinking of what to say after that.

My body didn't seem able to handle the shock from those words, and had fallen into a state of suspension, my mouth becoming completely unable to formulate words.

I could see the regret in Shouto's eyes. He obviously didn't want to say that to me, only wanting to protect me from his secrets.

I smiled inwardly.

" _What a nice guy."_

That was all I needed. Beyond any and all doubts, Todoroki Shouto was friend material.

Smiling inwardly, I felt my body recover from his stinging words, flapping my lips in a desperate attempt to reason with him.

However, before a word could come out from my mouth, the kid practically jumped off his seat and sprinted for the exit, quickly running down the stone road.

I was stunned again, not expecting this course of action from Shouto.

However, I quickly cursed and began to sprint after him, praying that my increased leg strength would let me catch up to him.

A second later, I was hot on his trail, quickly reducing the distance between us.

I could practically feel the determination flowing through my body as I glared at my friend's back.

" _There's no way in hell I'm going to let you get away from me today."_

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Shouto's legs felt like they were on fire, lungs quickly processing air in a hurried rate. However, he could barely notice his exhaustion once he noticed the form of Mal chasing him.

He didn't think about how that girl, whose body looked so slim, could match his in speed. Nor did he think about how it was possible that her eyes turned red once she stepped on an ant. He definitely didn't care that his head was turned more than a hundred degrees to look at the girl behind him while he was sprinting full speed.

No, Shouto wasn't focused on any of that.

His attention was completely captured by those eyes of hers. Those beautiful amethyst orbs which seemed to simply radiate determination. A determination that he realized was directed at him, or rather, getting him to talk about his problems.

The combination of graduate and apprehension Shouto had towards Mal was foreign to him, creating a feeling he had never experienced before.

Sprinting with renewed vigor, the boy prayed to whatever god that was out there to let him outrun Mal. He knew for sure that he couldn't lie anymore, not to the only person he saw as a friend. She was the first person outside his family who cared so much about him, the only person he wanted nothing more than the best for.

The impact Kurokami Mal had upon Shouto's life these past six months could not even be described. She provided both encouragement and motivation to him to become stronger, not for his father's goals, but for his own dreams.

He found his father's training regime much more durable after a conversation with Mal.

Some of her hints were also surprisingly specialized for surviving his father's training, something he found strange.

Mal was the one person Shouto could not hurt no matter what. She was practically family to him at this point, even if she didn't realize it.

Therefore, Shouto was trying his best to protect Mal from his problems, something she probably noticed already.

Soon, the red and white-haired boy found his prayers to be completely useless as Mal quickly gained on him, grabbing his arm to stop him from running.

"Wait! *pant* *pant* Just calm down and talk to me! Please! *pant* I want to help you!"

The boy's face twisted itself into a pained expression of determination. He had made up his mind.

Seeing the concerned and caring look on his friend's face, there was no way he would ever drag someone like that into his problems.

Shouto decided in that instant.

He would cut ties with Mal.

There would be no regret. He would rather be lonely than to hurt Mal. If he simply ended their friendship here, then Mal would just forget him in a couple of years. After all, someone with her personality would never be without friends. Losing her would be better than risking her in a conflict with his father.

Therefore, again mustering up the leftover scraps of his determination, Shouto shouted to Mal,

"We're not friends anymore Mal! I hate you!"

Had these words came with any other expression on Shouto's face, Mal would definitely have been injured emotionally.

However, the tears flowing down the boy's face took away whatever effect his words would have had.

Mal chuckled, still vice-gripping Shouto's arm.

"That's a funny joke, Tou-kun. You should be a comedian."

Shouto blinked, surprised at his friend's reaction.

"Huh?"

Mal pulled the boy closer, face becoming serious.

"You are definitely trying to protect me from something. Is it dangerous?"

Shouto shook his head, panicking.

" _No, no, no, no!"_

"No, it's not that! Leave me alone!"

Mal grabbed his other arm, the flailing boy's other arm and turning him around.

They locked eyes, worried amethyst staring into brown and blue.

She begged the boy, as if her sanity depended on his answer.

"Please. I _need_ to know. As your friend, I have to help you get through this."

Shouto became angry at this.

Mal spoke as if she _knew_ what he was going through. She spoke as if she could actually understand his pain. His misery.

Well, she didn't. She didn't know about the fact that he always flinched whenever Endeavor walked through the door, afraid of a stern scolding or a surprise "training" session. She didn't know about the torturous, mind-breaking pain Endeavor put him through every day, only ending when his bones were about to snap from the strain. She didn't know the pain of having her mother go about everyday life like an inhuman zombie, experiencing nothing but misery.

She didn't know what she was talking about.

"Shut up!"

And, as Shouto's anger flared, the right side of his body did the same, the flame side of his quirk activating in an instant.

In an instant, Mal's entire field of vision was consumed by a brilliant flame, igniting the air like an explosion.

When Mal could finally see again, she smelled the burning of cloth and flesh in the air, looking to her left hand in wonder.

Then, the pain kicked in.

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I could feel the skin of my right arm burn and char, becoming slightly cooked.

Granted, Shouto's fire was not too hot, as he was quite weak at the moment. However, it still hurt like hell.

I hissed in pain, but still held on to my friend regardless. It didn't hurt nearly as much as I thought it would, and I'll be damned if I let something like this deteriorate my relationship with Shouto.

Surging forward with adrenaline running through my veins, I practically shouted in my friend's face.

He was pale now, tears running down his cheeks in twin streams.

"I'm sorry."

"I didn't mean to."

He muttered those things while shaking his head in denial, glancing over to my burned arm and almost throwing up. I could see the motions of his throat, the bile rising up it.

" _Please, Shouto. It's really not that bad. Only slightly worse than that time I burned my hand on a kitchen stove. Never cooked once after that."_

"JUST TELL ME ALREADY!"

Flakes of spittle flew at the boy's face, but I was beyond caring. Shouto needed to share this with me, whether he liked it or not. I may have known everything already, but I wanted him to tell me himself, as a friend.

The boy began to shake, crying even more now. I realized that I unconsciously tightened my grip on his arms. He probably thought I was angry or something.

Therefore, I calmed down.

"Look, just tell me what's going on. We're friends, aren't we?"

I said this with the most compassionate face I could make, desperate to make my friend open up to me.

Shouto was quaking even more now, hiccuping now from his cries. He was probably feeling _really_ guilty from burning my arms.

Well, joke's on him. I could easily regenerate that damage by killing a few bugs.

Still, he wasn't budging. I sensed that I needed to push him once more, but what could I-

Oh, that's right. The maternal route. That works, I guess. Nothing to lose at this point. Might as well do it. I thought I had established enough of a connection with Shouto to be able to do this.

Releasing his arms for an instant, I embraced the boy, cradling his head in my bosom.

We were the same height, but he was in so much shock that he was kneeling, so this worked to my advantage.

"Shh. Shh. Tou-kun. Please. I just want to know what's making you so sad. Please, I won't ever be able to relax again if I don't know…"

Something seemed to glimmer in the boy's heterochromatic eyes as he shook even more than before.

I felt something wet on my shirt. Probably tears.

Oh, it was sticky too. Snot then.

I really didn't care. If he opened up to me, then I could accept it even if he wet his pants right then and there.

I may not be a psychiatrist, but I knew that bottling up feelings of despair was never good. Therefore, I would make Shouto share his experiences with me even if it killed me.

Was it pushy?

Yes.

Did I give a shit?

No.

And then, Todoroki Shouto seemed to crack, finally breaking down.

Releasing the boy from my embrace, I listened aptly as he told me his story…

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As Todoroki Shouto walked home after his argument with Mal, he felt refreshed for the first time in years. No, the first time in his life.

While Shouto's mother had been instrumental in the upkeep of his sanity, she was a constant. She was the one who had encouraged him to be a hero, the one who comforted him when he was feeling down.

Because of Endeavor's rigid separation of Shouto from his classmates, the boy felt as if his mother was the only person he had who truly understood him.

However, now he had a new person he could entrust his secrets to.

Mal had proven to be a wonderful friend, and listened to his story with rapt attention. She did not react the way he expected her to, simply embracing him when the tale was complete.

"You've been through a lot, huh?"

She had whispered that into his ear quietly then, allowing the boy to release all his frustrations and pain in the form of his tears.

The girl had walked back home with a soggy shirt, but she didn't seem annoyed at all. She just appeared to be incredibly bitter, not talking much for the rest of their time together.

However, when she left, the girl had said to him,

"Remember, Tou-kun. No matter what, that quirk is yours, not your father's. Use your fire proudly, without any reservation, alright?"

Those were about the same thing his mother said to him a while ago, back when Endeavor's training just started.

Now Mal had understood him, she had come to the same conclusion as his mother, proving her trustworthiness.

Therefore, Shouto had taken her words to heart, and trusted his new friend more than anyone, except for his mother, of course.

Smiling merrily, the boy skipped to the dorrs of his home, even if he knew that hell awaited him there.

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Soon, summer had come for me, the schoolyear passing by in a flash.

Challenging Bakugou every day, playing with Izuku, talking with Shouto. It all made for an interesting life.

Bakugou had grown to like me more and more during our daily spars, and I seemed to have gained some combat experience, even if just a little. I seemed to have a talent for such a thing.

Izuku was just Izuku, always wanting to be a hero. Even when he didn't have a quirk, the kid didn't give up, pushing forward with all of his might.

I supported him, of course, giving him pointers on his hero notes and weekly reminders to not give up. He wasn't just a manga character now. He was my friend, and I treasured him with my life.

Shouto… he was a little more complex. I let him talk with all of his issues with me, allowing him to release all of his pent up frustration and pain. After that, I gave some advice and help. We would talk about other things soon after. That was how I found out my friend idolized All Might almost as much as the other two.

Me? Not as much. There was just something about that guy that was _too_ good. It should have been comforting, but for some reason, it wasn't… I would have to think more about that.

However, on the first day of summer break, my parents woke me up early, before my alarm could even go off.

Before I could even ask what they were going to do, I saw the bags in their hands, containing a large amount of luggage. Luggage that was for a long trip, no doubt.

As I asked my das where we were going to go, he simply smiled and said,

"The Empire."

 **Sorry, I didn't want to keep writing this story without doing some research.**

 **For what I need research for…**

 **Well, you'll see later**


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